The Oracle
by In-betweens
Summary: Someone comes in to try and help Faith but she doesn't take it when its offered. So she sends the help to Buffy and the scoobies during their battle against Glory hoping to make up for past transgressions. Femslash! FINALLY UPDATED June 2010
1. Chapter 1

**The Oracle**

**Author:** In-Betweens

**Plot:** What if things could be different? What if someone with more power then anyone could comprehend came to try and fix things where they all started to go wrong? What would happen if Faith was given a shot to make things right, before everything went wrong? Would she take the chance to do the right thing or continue down a path she knew would leave her in heartache? What if the woman is the only one who can unlock the full potential of the Key?

**Part 1**

**3 years ago**

Faith ran through the cemetery at full speed ahead chasing after a vamp that thought he could get away. After the incident with that good for nothing fake, Gwendolyn Post, Faith had been slaying non-stop. The scoobies were all worried about her and Xander actually tried to help her. It was all, futile in the end. Faith had ended up continuing on the path she was and there was no one to help her. The only one that could possibly help her was too busy to even care which killed Faith. When Ms. Post went postal on her and tried to take over the world and had used her she had lost any ounce of trust she had come to hold dear toward any of the scoobies, but mostly Buffy.

Faith ran and jumped onto the bench and pushed off of it taking down the vampire with her. They rolled over, each seeking control of the moment. In the end Faith won and was on top, her stake pulled out and jammed into the vampire's heart. He combust into dust around her and Faith was now kneeling in the grass her stake a few inches in the ground. She yanked it out, upturning the ground as she did. Faith didn't even know what hit her until she was forced to the ground. Faith scrambled to her feet just in time to see a girl years younger then herself stake the vampire after pushing him to the ground.

Faith stood and brought her stake up and her arm and moved into a defense position just in case this girl turned out to be on the other side. Faith was just standing there for a few long seconds as the girl dusted herself off, coughing and patting at her clothing her stake forgotten, Faith noted that it was laying a littles away from the girl. Faith took in her new target, for the moment, and saw she had to be just as tall as she was maybe taller but much younger. The girl had blonde hair that was pulled back into a bun. Faith just watched the girl and froze when the girl finally looked up at her, after thinking she got as much of the dust off as possible and just stared at her. Faith felt her arm fall to her side as she looked at the girl in front of her, seeing her eyes and finding something there that scared and warmed her at the exact same time.

"Geez…are you deaf?!" The girl asked as she looked into Faith's eyes rolling hers. "I was yelling at you, to turn around and you just sat there. You made me have to get all dirty. I hate vampires…. they're always so messy!" The girl whined, as she looked at her clothes and swatted away something she assumed to be vampire remains.

Faith could just stare at the girl; she then looked down at her watch and saw that it was almost 3 am. Faith sighed this girl was definitely human. But the annoying kind, the girl was a preteen. Faith stared at the girl again and rolled her eyes as she put her stake into her back pocket and then shifted her weight and glared at the girl hoping to scare her away. She was in no mood for this kind of shit.

Faith was surprised to hear the girl start to laugh at her. Faith was giving the girl her best 'fuck off' glare and the chick was laughing at her. That pissed Faith off and being the slayer she was and the woman unable to control her emotions she lashed out and pushed the girl up against the crypt that stood only five feet from where they had been.

Faith was about to growl into the girl's ear when she was kicked in the stomach and her arms were pushed up over her head and the girl punched her right in the gut, the girl was now free and standing in the defensive. The girl looked confused as if she didn't understand why she was being attacked by the girl she had just saved.

Faith looked up at the girl, she was bent over the sucker bunch hitting her harder then she thought any human girl could possibly have thrown. Faith really didn't have time for this, Faith stood up and rolled her eyes when a vampire thought it was sneaking up on her and the girl, though the girl had no idea that there was even someone behind her.

Faith pushed forward and watched as she girl bent down slightly expecting her charge was for her, Faith pushed past the girl knocking the preteen off her feet and she jumped up and slammed her foot into the vampire's stomach knocking him to the floor. Faith got up from her own fall, having not regained her balance after jumping for the kick, and the fight began.

The girl crawled slowly backwards as she watched Faith fighting the vampire. The vampire was easy enough but Faith was aggravated and she wanted to prolong this kill, she needed to prolong this kill. The girl just leaned her back against the crypt and watched, she became a little frightened after Faith continued to pound her fist into the vampire's face when in reality he really didn't have a face left after all her other previous punches.

Faith killed the vampire sooner then she would have liked to when the brat against the crypt started yelling at her to just end the vampire's suffering that she couldn't take it. That was what got her attention, the girl was curled up now against the crypt her head between her legs and rocking back and forth her arms wrapped around her knees. Faith saw this and punched the vampire one last time before she staked the poor bastard and stood up. She dusted herself off, and then walked over to the brat and just sat on the tombstone in front of the crypt and looked at the girl.

They sat there for a long time the girl just rocking back and forth and Faith just sitting there on the tombstone watching the girl. When the brat finally looked up here eyes were blood shot red, and silent tears running down her cheeks.

"Who are you?" Faith asked staring at the girl, not seeming to give a shit about the girl's pain, she had her own pain to deal with, but only if she knew.

The brat looked up at her and dried her tears with the tip of her shirt, dabbing at the wet streaks on her cheeks rather then wiping them away.

_So she's old money. That explains a lot. _

"I'm not old money!" The brat spat as she glared at Faith.

"Yeah tell that to the manner…." Faith stopped dead in her tracks and shot straight up from her perch on the tombstone. "…how the fuck'd you know what I thought!?" Faith asked now starting to panic, this was no preteen drama queen, but no, no this was some demon spawn!

"I am not demon spawn!" The brat said as she stood up as well.

"Stay the fuck out of my head!" Faith said as she rushed the girl but was stopped in mid stride.

Faith tried to move her body but it had gone stiff, she couldn't move a muscle, she could only move her eyes and right now her eyes were locked onto the brat in front of her. The brat had her hand up, palm facing Faith and her fingers spread as far as they could go and she seemed to be pushing against something that wasn't there.

"What are you doing to me!?" Faith asked as she tried to move but couldn't.

"Keeping myself safe. And to think I came here to save you!" The brat said rolling her eyes as she looked up at the sky, her palm still out.

"Save me? You call sitting up against a crypt begging me to end a vampire's pain as saving me?" Faith asked eyeing the blonde still trying to move.

"You can't get free until I let you go so you might as well stop trying." The brat said as she looked at Faith and stepped back towards the crypt but kept her hand up.

"What are you?" Faith asked looking at her not sensing any kind of evil on her.

"I'm the…I'm a witch. That saw you getting killed and decided she didn't want a dead slayer on her conscience so she came to save you!" The brat said looking at Faith and taking a deep breath, it seemed keeping Faith the way she was took something out of the brat and she had to concentrate to keep it up.

Faith liked that! That meant she could tire the witch out. Faith smirked as she looked at the witch and decided to save her energy for when she was really going to need it. Faith then realized her mistake.

"I don't tire out if that's your plan and I can concentrate on a number of things at the same time. So don't even think about it. I'm not some demon you can slay! I'm human…or at least part human and I'm only here to help you." The brat said looking at Faith.

"Damn it witch stop reading my thoughts!" Faith cursed as she tried to move but again found it impossible.

"I…. what's the use you wouldn't believe me if I told you." The brat said and sat down, her knees drawn up to her chest her arm not resting on her knee as she continued to hold her palm out.

Silence fell over the two and Faith was having a hard time in keeping her thoughts under control so she could at least figure a way out of this mess, which wasn't turning out so good. Maybe she should have let Buffy come with her, that didn't change anything now! The silence dragged on until Faith couldn't take it, and her nose was starting to itch.

"What do you want?" Faith asked.

The brat looked up and smiled at Faith. "To help you." The girl seemed almost thrilled now that she was allowed to tell Faith her plan.

_Help me? Why would a brat like her want to help me? And who says I need her help? Well you do realize she does have you trapped in one place with an invisible barrier don't you? Yes I do but that doesn't mean I couldn't take her in hand to hand. Do you not remember her kicking your ass when you had her pinned against that crypt? Yeah but I didn't expect it. But you should have. Why am I fighting with myself. You fight with everyone else why not yourself as well? I don't know it's just creepy. _

"You want to help me?" Faith asked.

The brat just nodded her head enthusiastically. Faith rolled her eyes at it.

"Why?"

"Because things can be different."

**-------Present (Faith's POV)------**

Different, things can be different. That's what she told me, and now as I sit here in my cell left to do nothing but think I wish I had taken her up on her offer. But I was screwed up back then, I didn't see what I was being offered then but now I do and I wish I had taken it. Different, things can be different; things could be so much different. I could be back in Sunny D with B and the scoobies and actually getting a long. I wouldn't be feared and I wouldn't be hated and spited by Red, Xander and G-Man. Things could have been so different it scares me. Some nights when I think of her, I cry and whisper and pray that she'll come back and give me another chance, to make things right.

I look up at the white ceiling above me and hear a guard calling for lights out and the room goes black. Black and white how I wish things could be that simple. It's ironic that everything is black and white now, here, in prison. Prison is no walk in the fucken park but it's what I need its where I have to be until I pay for what I've done. Something I could have changed only if I had listened to her, taken her offer. Now here I am having these dreams that I know are slayer prophetic dreams and I can do nothing. Back in Sunny D they're facing some big bad that ganna end with B dying and I don't know if I can handle that. Even here in prison I know how much I cared for her then and still do. Things may be different, we may be different, changed, but the feelings I hold for her some how are still there. Just like the scar on my stomach they'll always be there.

Different, things could've been different. She wanted me to take the right road she was there shinning this big neon light on it and I turned away from it afraid of the truth she held. She was so young then and she knew and held wisdom that only a God could possibly hold. Things are going to be different I've made sure of that. Angel's coming to see me tomorrow during visiting hours and I have to ask him for this favor. I know in the end he'll do it, he just has to. I know he'll find her for me and I know she'll come. She always comes.

_Except that one time…_

_TBC…_


	2. Part 2

Part 2

**-------The Past**-------

Faith found herself running down the streets of Sunnydale completely a wreck. She was in a lot of trouble and she only knew one way to turn. The mayor wasn't here…she had just come from the Summers' residence and there was no help available there, well there was, Buffy just wasn't too keen on letting Joyce help her. Not that she could blame her. She didn't know how to fix what she had done, what she was remembering she had done. When she woke up things were a blur but as the day went on she started to remember. Faith ran her hand across her stomach and the scar that would lie embedded in her skin for the rest of her life was there waiting for her, as it always would be. Yes, things had gone horribly wrong. The only other person she knew that would help her was...was who she was running to.

Faith had just been at Buffy Summers' house, she had gone there looking for some answers. What she found was Joyce Summers, home alone and no Buffy. Faith had to admit that talk with Joyce didn't go well, but Joyce had at least let her in, with the hope she wouldn't kill her. Faith realized that she wouldn't kill Joyce, now! Faith had been trying to talk to Joyce, just nicely no one was getting hurt when Buffy came storming through the window and attacked her. Faith ran her hand up her cheek and flinched, yeah Buffy still had a nasty right hook. Faith sighed and ran through an ally and hopped a fence before making a rough landing and rushing off down the block and turning a few corners before coming up to the house.

Things didn't go so well with Joyce and Buffy, and Faith hadn't been one to stick around for Buffy to get a lecture from her mother about waiting and giving someone like her a second chance. Joyce had started to yell at Buffy while the blonde had continually hit her. Faith had blocked as many as she could but she wouldn't hit back and that seemed to make Buffy more aggressive. Faith stopped in front of the house and just stared up at it, standing in the walkway of a house she hadn't seen since that night the brat had brought her here.

The brat lived there with her mother. The brat had let her inside once, fed her breakfast too. That first night they met she had brought her back home and made her this wonderful breakfast while they talked. Faith made it to the door and banged feverishly on it. This was where she had gone wrong, where she could have stopped, where things could have been so different. Buffy and Joyce had been yelling at each other when Faith made her exit, thankful to Joyce for not calling the cops on her. Faith wasn't sure how long she had left, she wasn't sure how long it would take for Buffy to find her, and she wasn't sure what would happen when Buffy did find her, and that was what scared her.

Faith turned around when she heard a voice behind her.

"You lookin', for the girl that used to live here?" An old lady asked as she looked at Faith.

Faith nodded her head as she turned around and looked at the old woman. Afraid of what she was about to be told. Knowing it was too late scared her, and she wasn't sure what to do now if she was too late. After everything that had happened, she had been in a coma for eight months, of course there was a chance that she might be gone; but Faith hadn't thought about that.

"She's gone, moved about two months ago...(sigh)...poor thing always at the hospital." The old woman said and shook her head about to walk off.

"Do you know where she went?" Faith asked desperate. The fact that the brat had been in the hospital scared her.

"Why yes…. The mother said something about moving into the city back in L.A." The woman said and looked up and found Faith was no longer there anymore. "Youngsters these days, not staying in one place long enough to be seen must be all the high tech mojo."

Faith wasn't sure what she'd do when she got to L.A but she didn't care she needed somewhere to go to get away from Buffy and L.A. might as well be the place. What she found in L.A. was an old enemy willing to help and a new light shinning on the world around her that she had to live in, and a brand spankin' new jail cell with her name on it.

**------Present ------**

Faith wondered now what Buffy and the gang, back at home thought of her turning herself in. Being the good guy again and doing the right thing. Angel said that Buffy had come to L.A. when she heard that she had been arrested, getting the news from the council. Angel said she didn't know how to react when he told her Faith had brought herself in. Faith laughed when Angel tried to mimic the look Buffy had on her face. Faith sighed...all there was to do here was think about the past or think about the nearby future, nothing left to do really, she never got any visitors during the day.

Faith heard her name being called by one of the guards; she sat up in her bunk and watched as her cell door was opened.

"You have a visitor." The guard said and Faith smirked and followed him through the corridors down to the visiting room. Angel was two days early and had come during the day? Or maybe it wasn't Angel, but who would come to see her now? After all this time? Faith groaned inwardly and closed her eyes; she hoped it wasn't the bloody council.

The guard opened the door and let Faith through and she smiled when she saw Angel sitting at the table waiting for her. Angel stood up and looked at her and it was then that Faith saw there were two other people at the table with him. Faith froze when she saw the blonde hair, she looked up at Angel and as always his face just gave off a charming/dangerous/mysterious look. So in the end it showed her nothing.

Faith walked over to the table slowly and stood there. She faced the blonde in front of her, Angel smiled at her and waited till Faith sat down before he sat down as well, opposite of her. Faith didn't look at him though or the man sitting to his left, she was too busy staring at the woman in front of her. Faith watched as the blonde looked up at her and her heart warmed when she saw the smile gracing the blonde's face. That smile always did do wonders for her, and after three years that didn't change, not one bit.

"Hello, Faith." She said, as she looked up at Faith her eyes taking in the sight before her.

"Hey Melinda." Faith said as she nodded her head toward the blonde. "You came." Faith said whispering.

Faith had grown since the last time she had seen the brunette, but so had she. She was no longer the brat that Faith met in the cemetery. She had grown physically, mentally, and emotionally. Things were very different now; very different from the way they had been when she was 14. They both knew that, but what Melinda wanted to know was could things be as they should have been if Faith had taken her offer, three years ago.

Melinda turned toward Angel and then turned back to Faith. "I thought you knew I would be here, now I know Angel forgot to tell you. He found me faster then he thought he would. I'm part of the council's supernatural radar, thing." Melinda said looking at Faith.

"I would have warned you but…." Angel was cut off.

"There was no time, between the time you sent me the letter. I get it." Faith said finally turning to Angel and smiling at him. "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure." Angel said.

"Excuse me but I think its time to get to business." The man to Angel's right said.

"Max!" Melinda said harsh fully.

Max rolled his eyes and looked at Faith and then looked around Angel and at Melinda. He glared at Melinda and rolled his eyes at something that Faith could only assume was something Melinda was telling him and him alone. Faith knew Melinda's powers and how strong she actually was. How important she was as well. Faith also knew that the woman Melinda thought was her mother had been in imposter and had actually taken her away from her family when she was born so she could harness Melinda's power.

Angel had informed her when she got to LA that Melinda had come to him looking for help. She had needed to be hidden from her 'mother' and from the watcher's council, who were also looking for her, but it seemed like they had found her and she joined willingly. Angel wouldn't tell Faith where she was back then, because he knew Faith wasn't ready to see Melinda then, but he knew that she was ready to see her now. More then ready to see her now.

"Max….all she has to do is ask. Whether I have your help and the help of the council I will help her!" Melinda said out loud.

"You know that the council and I can't just take your…" Max tried to say but was cut off by an enraged Melinda

"My word...?! You've taken my word on everything else for the past year, and now because it hast to do with someone that you failed, my words not good enough!?" Melinda asked her voice raised.

Faith and Angel were stuck being outsiders while Melinda and Max had their discussion. Faith saw the look of frustration on Angel's face and realized that the two of them must have been doing this a lot, she felt bad for the vampire. Faith then looked around the room and saw the sun shinning through the windows and saw it shinning directly on Angel and he wasn't bursting into flames.

"What the hell is…" Faith didn't get the chance to ask.

Melinda turned toward Faith and smiled which calmed Faith a little. "He's fine!" Melinda said and Faith slowly sat back down waiting to hear how he was fine. "I have a force field around him so the sun isn't really touching him." Melinda said with a smile, she reached her hand out and placed it over Faith's. "It's okay…"

Faith looked at Melinda and then down at the hand touching hers, she looked at Angel and saw him smiling, no wonder he seemed to be so happy it was the first time he must have been allowed to be out in the sun since he was turned. Except for a few other times, but it had been a long time for him.

"You can do that!?" Faith asked.

"I can do that now... yes." Melinda said.

Max cleared his throat and Faith watched Melinda roll her eyes followed shortly after by Angel rolling his eyes. "Not that I want to interrupt."

"Well, then don't!" Melinda said turning to face Max.

Faith looked up at Angel and realized how much Angel must have hated this guy. He was just another one of those damned watcher's, Faith understood that he was a watcher and she knew why Melinda had one. Melinda was **The Oracle**, the one that the Council had been waiting for, for years. The Coven, that worked for the council had informed them that Melinda was The Oracle two years ago, it was just hard looking for her because of all that Melinda's 'mother' had done to conceal who she really was from the world.

Melinda was born of the most powerful witch the council had on record. There were only few records of Oracle's, and there were only a few born in each generation. They were special in the same kind of way that Slayers are, except that there is more then one Oracle born. Though it works the same way the Slayer line does, after an Oracle dies another is born. They are born to the strongest and most powerful witches. If an Oracle dies and you are one of the most powerful witches in your generation The Powers take care of the rest. (Impregnating the witch)

Faith hadn't known any of this when she first met Melinda, and she was sure Melinda hadn't known it either. Angel had been the one to tell them both. They also learned from him that Melinda was **The Oracle**! Anyone who knew of Her and Her prophecies was looking for her. Melinda is special, a Slayer kind of special. Melinda was the most powerful Oracle both sides had on record. An Oracle's destiny is like a Slayer's as well. Actually **The Oracle's** destiny is like a Slayer's because there are prophecies about The Oracle.

_The Oracle that will be as strong as that who is the protector of man, her powers untamed and un-mastered but most of all infinite, she shall be the guardian of that who unlocks the doors. If the protector, of that who unlocks the doors, shall fail The Oracle shall rise. The Oracle shall guard that which the protector cannot. The Oracle will bring light to those who are hidden in darkness; she shall free them from their sadness which was forced upon them by an almighty force just as strong as her. The Oracle holds the power to tame the power of that who unlocks the doors. Only when **they** touch shall the darkness that Hell spread be vanquished and Glory shall be theirs. _

"So…you looked me up?" Melinda asked smiling. It was still very easy to hear Faith's thoughts; they just seemed to push themselves into her mind as they pleased.

Faith looked at Faith and rolled her eyes. "Still reading my thoughts, are you?" Faith asked.

"No…you're just pushing them out to me like you always did." Melinda said.

"I still don't know how or why I do that." Faith said looking at Melinda. "You never really gave me a straight answer back then." Faith said smirking.

"No, I guess I was rather cryptic with you, but I did need to get to school." Melinda said smiling.

Angel and Max just watched the two girls talk, and saw how at ease they both seemed with each other after everything. Max was only worried about Melinda, he cared for his charge dearly and he wasn't one to wish her to be hurt. Melinda had spent countless months forbidding her powers any control over her because she deemed herself useless. All because she couldn't help the one person she had wanted to help most of all. It had taken a long while for Max to show Melinda; again, that in the end she can not make the choice for the person, you can only show them the doors and let them walk through the one they wish. Max sighed.

Melinda cared for Faith and she saw things in Faith that no one else could possibly see. Melinda saw things in everyone that no one could see, she saw the world differently then any one else and some times Max wished he could just see what she saw, just once.

Faith smiled. "You were, but in the end if you had been blunt with me I still wouldn't have staid." Faith said looking at Melinda.

Melinda raised an eye brow. "Now who's reading whose thoughts?"

Faith laughed lightly and watched as both Angel and Melinda smiled.

"Who told you about me?" Melinda asked, needed to get to the point soon.

"Angel told me who you were and I found the rest out from Wesley. You're pretty special."

"I was always special, you just choice not to see it." Melinda said winking.

"I saw it, I was just afraid of what it meant." Faith said looking down at the table. "You actually came after everything. After I refused you three times, you still came…"

"Yes we've established that." Melinda said smiling. "Why is it you want me here?"

Faith looked at Melinda and sighed this was her chance to make things the way they should have been and she was going to take it!

"Because….things can be different." Faith said smiling as she saw Melinda recognize the words she just spoke.

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

**That faithful night (Faith's POV)**

Because she can make things different…? That's why I'm here in her house? I have no idea how I let her pull me here. That's not true I wanted to know but she insisted that she had to be home, her mother might begin to worry about her if she wasn't back before 5 a.m. Man how much I wish I had her mom as my own. Her mother seemed nice enough, though I knew she was some kind of drunk or junkie just by the sight of her. I pushed that to the back of my mind and tried to deal with this whole concept of her being able to see the future, hear my thoughts and stop me in mid stride, it freaks me out but I have to know. Some how I know she knows that I have to know…. I need to know and she knew I would, and she's taking advantage of that.

"Melinda?" I say her name as I sit down on a stool in the kitchen.

She's making breakfast for us and she turns her head toward me and she smiles at me. She's got to be at least 13, not any younger then 11 but I haven't actually asked her how old she is. I really haven't asked much of anything, but what she saw and how she can make it different.

"I'm 14, I live here with my mother, well she's not my biological mother but I love her just as much and she loves me. My mom died during childbirth, and Melissa, my mother was my mom's partner. She stopped drinking two years ago. And she left because she works two jobs to keep the house and the bills under control." Melinda said not even looking at me.

She's too busy making us pancakes, she promised me pancakes if I came back to the house. She also promised me answers and I want those damn answers more then the food! How odd...

"Come help me." She says and some how I can't resist and I walk up and over to her and she smiles at me. She's like some kid getting off some happy wagon, right as I think that her smile fades and she looks down at the food pretending that she wasn't hurt by that but I know she was and I curse myself. I go toward the fridge getting the bacon she just told me was in the bottom drawer.

"How did you know where to find me?" I ask her as I'm still looking through the fridge.

"I knew that cemetery, so when I saw you in my dream I knew where you'd be and I remembered you thinking about the time so I knew when to show up as well. The hard part was coming on the right day or morning how ever you want to see it as." She says waving her hand in the air. "I've been up and out there for the last week waiting for you to come along." She laughs and continues. "The one night I'm late is the night you show up."

Some how I just don't find that funny...

**(Normal POV)**

"You don't find that funny but I can't help but find it hilarious." Melinda says laughing as she continues to make the pancakes.

Faith comes out of the fridge and puts the bacon on the counter and helps the blonde out in cooking, feeling it's the least she can do now that she's getting her answers.

"What are you?" Faith asked not looking up at the younger teenager.

"I'm an Oracle." Melinda says truthfully, smiling as she turns back to flipping the pancakes.

Faith just doesn't seem to get how she can do that, the damn smile just makes things seem so much less…less bad then they could be. Faith relaxes and finds herself on autopilot as she cooks the bacon. Melinda sees this but she says nothing. They just make breakfast in silence Faith thinking and wondering about things she wasn't sure she wanted to think and worry about, and Melinda listening to Faith's inner turmoil. Making her that much more intent on helping her.

Soon breakfast was ready and they were dishing out their plates. Faith took one end of the island on her stool and Melinda took the other. They sat there in silence, just the sounds of their utensils scraping against their plates. Faith couldn't take it, she needed answers now.

"What's an Oracle?" Faith asked.

"I'm an Oracle." Melinda said smiling and laughing lightly at her own joke, Faith just rolled her eyes and kept moving her food around on her plate, not really eating any of it. "An Oracle is a witch, a very powerful witch. An Oracle is a new form of a witch and they are very rare in this dimension. I am one of only six others in this generation." Melinda said as she picked up a piece of bacon and bit into it giving Faith time to take in what she just said.

Faith didn't even think about it because there was no use Melinda could hear her thoughts anyway.

"What makes them so…."

"Special?"

Faith nodded.

"We are empaths, telepaths, prophets, and have the power of five ordinary witches but don't have to cast spells or chant to get what we want to happen, we only have to wave our hands, think it, blink, snap our fingers and what we want to happen, will happen." Melinda said.

"So you're witches that kick ass, and know everything?" Faith asked.

Melinda smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "I guess you could say we kick ass, I sure did kick yours."

Faith smirked and rolled her eyes but knew Melinda was right she had gotten her ass kicked by her and if that vampire hadn't interfered she would have really been showed an ass whopping.

"How'd you get so…"

"Strong?"

Faith rolled her eyes and nodded. "That's getting annoying."

"Yeah, I know I'm sorry. I'll stop." Melinda said as she stood up and brought her dishes to the sink.

Melinda started looking through her pockets and pulled out a card and handed it to Faith as she walked toward the exit of the kitchen. Faith looked at the card and laughed, it was a gym card. Faith put down the card and stood from her stool when she saw Melinda leaving the room.

"Where are you going?" Faith asked.

Melinda turned her head and smiled at Faith, a smile that Faith was starting to find soothed her of all her worries, which only caused her to have new worries. She'd only known Melinda a few hours and in some wacky way she felt safe and some how warmed by how much Melinda seemed to care for her.

The Oracle had only introduced herself a few hours before and here Faith was sitting in her kitchen. It was scary to Faith; it was scaring her deeply. She could already trust the young woman in front of her. Faith had trusted no one; mostly no one the only other person she had trusted was dead, killed right in front of her. She had also been the only one to ever care for her. Faith had been in Sunnydale for almost three months and she still couldn't trust Buffy and the scoobies not since that witch of a watcher had come.

"I have school, Faith. If I don't get ready I'm going to be late!" Melinda said and kept walking down the hallway. "Finish eating. I'll be out before you're done anyway." Melinda called over her shoulder as she rounded the corner and headed up the stairs.

Faith stood beside her stool, just listening as Melinda moved through the house. Faith looked up at the ceiling above her and waited till she heard water running before she turned back to her breakfast, a breakfast that had been made especially for her. Faith smirked as she picked up her fork and finally started to eat the food she had been playing with for almost an hour. Faith looked up at the wall in front of her and stared at it for awhile deep in thought, the only noise in the room being the sloshing sound of the food she was chewing slowly.

(**20 minues later**)

"See…told you I'd be down before you finished." Melinda said smiling as she walked through the kitchen her hands busy putting her wet blonde hair into a bun.

Faith looked up from her plate staring at Melinda with a mock glare. "Of course you knew…" Faith said with her mouth full of her food.

Faith swallowed her food and took a sip from her glass of juice. She watched Melinda walk up to her fridge and open it completely ignoring her mock glare. Somewhere between being really freaked out and wanting to know information Faith had some how fallen into a playful mood, she just chalked it up to the teenager's influence on her.

"…you know everything!" Faith finished as she shoved the last bit of food into her mouth.

Melinda smiled at Faith over the top of the refrigerator door.

"I don't know everything!" Melinda said as she took out the orange juice, Faith looked at her skeptically.

"Right…." Faith said rolling her eyes as she stood up. Faith smirked.

_We'll see about you not knowing everything…._

"Don't even think about dropping that plate!" Melinda said, foiling Faith's little plan or falling right into it, she didn't know but she didn't care as long as her china wasn't broken in the process.

"See! You do know everything!" Faith said smiling triumphantly.

Melinda rolled her eyes as she poured herself another glass of orange juice. Melinda turned around and jumped up and sat atop the counter as she watched Faith put her dishes into the skin and moved back to the now clean island and jump up so she was sitting across from her.

_Why do I feel so comfortable with you, when I was so uncomfortable with you only minutes ago?_ Faith asked herself as she stared at Melinda.

Melinda smiled as she brought her glass to her lips covering her smile. Melinda's eyes never leaving Faith as she swallowed the craved juice.

"Do you want me to answer that?" Melinda asked as she put her glass down next to her the sound of the glass being put on a hard surface echoing through the now quiet kitchen.

_You can hear me?_ Faith asked thinking it only as her eyes widened.

Melinda only nodded her head. Faith's mouth opened and she only watched as Melinda got down from the counter. Just as Melinda started reaching out for it, the clock on the other side of the kitchen went off, its piercing echo moving through the room. Melinda turned it off and stopped the echo dead in its tracks before she turned back around toward Faith.

"Answer it!" Faith said as she sat where she was.

TBC...


	4. Part 4

_**Author's note:** Okay so just to make it clear in this story Faith and Buffy didn't switch bodies, or Faith didn't force them to. She didn't kidnap Joyce she tried to make things right with everyone but ended up going to LA and turned herself into the police and the whole trying to kill Angle thing never happened either. So...that's just to let you all know. So things are on a little softer side in this story with the gang and Faith. Mostly because of Joyce smoothing Faith over on all of them after her and Faith had their heart to heart. _

**Part 4**

**Present**

**2 weeks after meeting in jail**

Giles stood in the middle of his own shop being harassed by a man he rather despised. Quintan Travers and the rest of the council stood around the table in the Magic Box.

"We have come across some very disturbing and..."

"Why not just cut to the chase?" Giles asked getting impatient with the man in front of him.

"We're here to see if you and your slayer are going to be able to handle what we've learned, if not..."

"If not you're going to what?" Giles asked tilting his head. "Take your leave and leave us in the dark while we deal with this evil and you sit in the safety of you're homes drinking tea!"

"No..."

"Then what?" Giles asked angrily.

"We'll hand if over to..."

"To whom?" Giles asked.

"If you'd allow me to finish I'd tell you why we came here in..."

Just as Quintan was about to finish her sentence the sound of the stores bell rang and the door was opened and closed. Giles didn't turn around, it was better to continue to stare at the man in front of him then to look up and watch as a man from the council brushed his customers out the door as if they were nothing but trash needing to be taken out. Giles waited for the men or woman to say something to the new comer but heard nothing. After waiting several long seconds and the only sound filling the room being the sound of boots hitting against the wooden surface of the floor, Giles finally turned around and almost had a heart attack.

"Oh god lord!" Giles said staring at the woman now walking through the small crowd of watchers.

"Well hey there G-man. How's it hangin'?" Faith asked smiling as she stepped up to Giles smiling.

"Giles as you can see...we no longer need to have Buffy Summers stationed here, nor do we need her to deal with Glori, Faith is..." Quintan looked up at Faith and then at Giles, he didn't like this whole situation at all but there were bigger people then him behind getting Faith out of jail and to Sunndydale.

"Faith..." Giles said staring at Faith.

Giles wasn't sure how to handle the reappearance of Faith; he knew it was not something to take lightly if the Council was behind it. After all the Council had tried several times to kill Buffy and now that Faith seemed to be siding with them, he wasn't sure where that would leave Buffy and he didn't like the thought of the Council once again trying to harm his Slayer.

The silence that filled the room was filled with tension but Faith stood where she was smiling as she looked at Giles the rest of the group around them platonic to anything that surrounded them. Faith looked around the room and shook her head, her eyes closed as she looked down at the floor.

"I thought you knew I was coming." Faith said truthfully her eyes downcast on the hardwood floor.

Giles noticed this and watched as Faith's entire presence was different then it had been those years again. Giles also noticed how genuinely she seemed to be disappointed that she had been lied to, once again.

"You told me he knew!" Faith said turning to Travers.

"I told you no such thing." Travers said defending himself.

"I'm sorry Giles, I really thought..."

Faith was interrupted when the door of the shop flew open and the bell rang viciously as it was pushed with such force, in any other circumstances it would have been ripped from its hinges. Everyone turned toward the door with fright, except Faith and Giles who were rather used to things storming through doors to get to something.

"Faith!" The woman cried as she ran through the door panting. She rushed through the door and the shop till she was standing in front of the four watchers that crowded the shop. They had all stepped forward and were blocking her path which made Melinda glare and almost growl.

Before Melinda was given a chance to say anything the door was once again slammed open and a man in his early thirties came rushing through the door after Melinda panting as well. He made it five feet from Melinda before he bent over and just tried to catch his breath.

"Melinda..."

"Max!" Travers hissed as he looked up at the man keeled over panting in the middle of the shop.

Anya walked out from the back and just watched as the scene unfolded before her and she couldn't help but step forward and smile as she looked around the room.

"Anya..." Anya said and pointed to Giles with a weary smile. "Giles...now that we're all on a first name basis...can you all leave and let the people with money back in?" Anya asked hopefully as she looked around the room but was only met with glares so she nodded and rushed into the back room.

Travers stepped forward and was about to address Melinda when the young woman looked up at him, her eyes white as snow. Faith turned and saw Melinda's eyes white again. This had been happening since they entered Sunnydale, the blonde couldn't keep up with all the visions the Powers were sending her. Faith rushed forward and caught Melinda as she started to fall; Max was right behind her and helped her place her on the floor gently.

"What is this...the tenth in the last two hours?" Faith asked as Melinda's body shock once and then the only thing moving was her head as her vision continued.

Normally she'd be able to stand and the visions would cease within seconds but since they came to Sunnydale that changed. It seemed the hell mouth was taking too much of Melinda's power from her, sucking it in for itself. She also couldn't keep up with how many people were going to die or she had to save in the near future, her body was too exhausted to take any more visions yet they kept coming.

"Thirteenth, she had one with you and your old friend there..." Max said nodding his head toward Giles as he looked at Faith. "...she wanted to come and warn you but we were on the other side of town."

"Excuse me...who is that!" Giles asked looking around the room.

"She's..." The woman started but shut her mouth when she saw Travers glaring at her.

"She is part of the Coven." Travers said, using the cover they had made for Melinda before they had arrived apparent to Giles.

"Faith...you know her?" Giles asked looking at the rouge slayer who was too busy to even hear his question. "Will someone tell me what the hell is going on! Why Faith is out of jail, why is she here, wait don't answer that. She's here to replace Buffy if you find Buffy unworthy to protect the key and..."

"Dawn..."

Giles' eyes widened as he looked over at the woman lying on the floor, everyone turned toward her when they heard her whispering. Faith ran her hand up Melinda's arm and took hold of the blonde's hand.

"What...Melinda say that again..."

"Dawn..." Melinda whispered once again as she opened her eyes.

"What did you see?" Faith asked as Melinda sat up. Faith was on the bottom step and when Melinda sat up she was much higher then she was, which forced her to look up.

"Dawn...something about Dawn." Melinda said looking up at Max, he shrugged his shoulders.

Travers stepped forward. "What about dawn?"

"I don't know yet." Melinda said looking up at Quintan.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Quintan began to ask stepping forward.

Faith stood from where she had been sitting and got right in Quintan's path stopping him in his place. Faith eyed the old British bastard and waited for him to step down. He did, and once he did Faith smiled at him.

"Good choice." Faith said.

Giles watched the play before him and realized as Faith turned when she heard Melinda trying to stand, that the young woman was protecting Melinda. Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them and as he put them on he saw Faith eyeing Melinda, insisting on her saying she was okay before she'd back off. Giles had only seen Faith like that once, when Buffy had been injured while on patrol the next few nights Faith had been eyeing Buffy like a hawk making sure she was okay and made sure nothing touched her. Though, that had been before the mess with the Mayor had ensued.

_Bloody hell, she's protecting her. She knows something she doesn't want to tell them something she's afraid to tell her. Good lord she knows...she knows about Dawn! _Giles watched as the girl that everyone was calling Melinda looked up at him and stared him down for a few seconds. He felt like she could see something inside him, she wasn't just looking at him but looking through him and he felt frightened.

Melinda turned her head to Faith and smiled when she saw the brunette was still fussing over her. It had been two weeks since the meeting they had in the jail house Faith had been in, and it had only taken them a few days to get Faith out of there without a sitch. The Council had in the end helped when Melinda had promised them that things would be very different. Faith had laughed when she used that line, it seemed it was her key phrase and Faith couldn't help but love it.

The past week had been helpful. Melinda had been informing Faith on all she knew and had even started to spar with her. Faith had been reluctant at first but then Max had come along and insisted that in the end Faith wouldn't even be able to touch Melinda let alone hurt her. He had been right, Faith could barely touch Melinda at first and even then she wasn't putting her all into it. Melinda had forced her to use all she had and though she thought her punches made contact they never did, she had learned on the second day that Melinda formed a barrier around her body that absorbed Faith's blows leaving Melinda without a scratch on her, so in the end Max had been very right.

Melinda and Faith had been preparing for their reunion back in Sunnydale for the past week and even though they thought that they were ready they realized that they never would be. They both had their demons that lied here in Sunnydale and each would face them, together. They'd get through this new apocalypse together; they'd get Buffy and her Scooby gang through it as well. How, they weren't sure but Faith, Melinda and Max all knew the key to winning this one lie within Melinda's hands and only hers. They'd just be her back up through it all just like Max and Melinda would be Faith's back up through her endeavors here with the people she wronged years ago.

"I think its time for you to leave." Melinda said looking around at the people huddled in the store. "You'd most likely not like to piss me off. I know all they need to hear to help m...Buffy defeat Glorificious."

"You hold no..." one of them men went to say but stopped dead in his tracks he tried to move but found he couldn't. "...what in the world."

Faith looked at the man and up at Melinda and laughed. "You're better off not trying to get out of that one 'mate' it only makes it harder to move and breathe." Faith said smiling as she looked at the poor guy.

"How dare you, you good for nothing..."

"That's enough!" Melinda said as she stepped forward her eyes white once again as she stepped forward glaring at the man she held in her grasp. "You all will leave and leave now. You'll take an earlier flight and call me when you've arrived back home." Melinda said and waved her hand.

The four men and one woman started to walk toward the door as if they were possessed. Faith stood beside Melinda smiling as she watched them leave. She then turned around when she heard Travers speaking.

"Your petty attempt to control me won't work." He said as he looked at Melinda.

Faith turned toward him just as Melinda did. "You sure you want to test that theory out?" Faith asked.

_You can not tell them who you are; they will not be forthcoming with you. You should not be forth coming with them. Only when they trust in you shall they tell you everything, and then and only then should you give them what you know. Buffy will not give up the Key easily and with Faith as your alley she will not be so forthcoming with the identification either. _Quintan thought and pressed it forward to Melinda.

Melinda looked at him and nodded her head.

_I won't give them anything till I know I can trust them. I won't just put my life in the hands of someone that wants me dead, or doesn't trust me. Now I think you should leave. Faith and I have our parts and they can not refuse the help, they know they can't. My help they will take, I need them to trust Faith and with you here looking at her like that they never will. Now leave!_

"I can not offer you anything but their services, Rupert. They both are here only to help both because they want to be here helping not because we offered them anything." Quintan said and turned to Melinda.

"If you fail..." he warned.

"We won't." Melinda said as she put her hand on Faith's shoulder. "We both have too much to lose if we do."

With that Quintan was gone from the shop leaving Max, Faith and Melinda in the shop with Giles. Melinda looked over at Giles she liked him, he would be one of the easiest to convince Faith was good it was the others that had her worried and for now the fact that she felt his distrust placed on her made her wonder if sending the Council away before they had their say was such a good idea. Especially now!

"Okay now that they're gone." Giles said cleaning his glasses and then placing them on his face once again. "What in the blood hell are you!" Giles asked eyeing Melinda.

TBC...


	5. Part 5

_Thanks for the heads up about the spelling Kim._

Previously

"Okay now that they're gone." Giles said cleaning his glasses and then placing them on his face once again. "What in the blood hell are you!" Giles asked eyeing Melinda.

**Part 5**

_Well...I'll be he wants to know about you and not me. _

Melinda looked at Faith and rolled her eyes. Faith was happy that Giles wasn't all over her, but instead all over her. Melinda looked at Giles and stepped forward putting her hands in her pockets as she walked over to the table near Giles. Anya took this moment to step out from the back room, she didn't look at Giles or anyone else she just went to the cash register and opened it, seemingly making sure that all the money was still there. Melinda watched Giles roll his eyes and she smiled.

"Rupert Giles, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." Max said as he walked forward extending his hand to Giles.

Giles not really one to not take an offered handshake took hold of Max's hand and shook it and smiled at the young man who seemed very happy to be meeting him.

"I...I'm sorry I don't know..."

"Max, his name's Max, don't bother asking his last name he won't tell you." Melinda said as she stood up from her seat and started to look around the room.

"Does she always..."

"Finish people's sentences, yes she does." Faith said smiling as she looked at Giles.

Giles nodded his head and stared at Faith, he wasn't sure what to do about the dark slayer. Things between them hadn't ended well but the gang and he both realized the change in Faith when she brought herself to the cops out in LA. They had been very surprised when Buffy, came back to Sunnydale after looking for Faith, told them that she had given herself in to the police. They had also been more then a little shocked when Joyce insisted that Faith should not be in jail but with them, so they could help her. Willow had been against all of that until Buffy had actually agreed with her mother. It seemed when Faith had woken up she had gone to the Summers' residence looking for Buffy but found Joyce and they had talked for hours, or so Joyce said, before Buffy came in and ruined it.

Giles wasn't sure but some how as he watched Faith now he saw what Joyce had seen that day. Faith had been young then, she had been corrupted by the Mayor and some how in the last year and a half he had been able to realize that she really was different. He hadn't seen her himself until now but he had been given word from Joyce, Angel and the Council themselves that Faith could easily have escaped and never be seen again but she staid in jail and served her time, now it seemed she had gotten out of it because of the situation the Council was in with Glori.

Max looked at Giles and stepped back. Melinda turned away from the crystal she was looking at to look back at Max and Giles. She smiled at Max and then turned to Giles.

"I'm here to help. As the Council said, I'm part of the Coven." Melinda said as she put the crystal down and walked back over to the table.

"That doesn't give me much to work with." Giles said looking at Melinda.

"It's not supposed to give you anything to work with, only to take." Melinda said as she sat down at the table. "Faith, you may want to leave." Melinda said turning to Faith suddenly.

Faith looked up from the jar of eye balls she had been looking into and turned to Melinda with a raised eye brow. "Why?"

"She's coming." Melinda simply said.

Faith put down the jar and stepped up to Melinda and smiled at Giles before she looked at the front store door and then turned to Melinda.

"You're better off using the back door. She'll be here in a minute." Melinda said and she nodded and smiled and rushed through to the back door.

"See ya later G-Man." Faith said as she ran through the work out room. "wow..." she said as she stopped and looked around. "I've gatta come back here soon." Faith said and heard the bell chime when the door was opened. She rushed to the back door and out of it.

Giles looked at Melinda and watched Faith rush out the back door she turned back to Melinda for a second. "Who's coming?" Giles asked and looked up at the door as the bell chimed and Buffy walked through the door with Xander, Willow and Tara behind her.

Giles looked at Melinda with a shocked expression. Melinda looked up at Giles and smiled she staid seated, realizing that any sudden movements might be assumed as an attack.

"How in the world did you do that?" Giles asked.

Max looked over at the group of people that were now just standing still by the doorway staring at him and Melinda, they had stopped talking and were now just looking at him and the expression on Giles face.

"You okay Giles?" Buffy asked seeing her watcher looking the way he was and saw two people she didn't know in the room.

Giles shook his head and looked up at Buffy and took off his glasses and proceeded in cleaning them. "Yes, quite well." Giles said. "Confused...and I believe I'm having a heart attack but yes...otherwise bloody well fine." Giles said as he moved to the chair across the table from Melinda and sat down in a huff.

"Oh don't worry Mr. Giles you're not having a heart attack, it's just...well if you were I'd know." Melinda said giving Giles a smile but saw the look on Giles' face and turned her head away from him and looked at Max.

"I think it's time we introduce ourselves." Melinda said standing slowly as Buffy and her gang of friends walked into the room slowly.

"Are you part of the Council?" Xander asked eyeing Melinda. "Cause I mean you look kinda young to be part of the snooty English guys Council." Xander said nervously as he saw the man standing next to Melinda eyeing him.

Buffy wasn't sure who this girl was but she was pretty sure she wasn't part of the Council, she wasn't British. Though the man standing to her right was some what suspicious, Buffy looked up at Giles and saw he was trying to figure something out because he had on his 'Giles thinking' face. Buffy looked up at Xander when she heard him say something and waited to see what the girl said. Something was off and she wasn't sure what it was. Since the other day Buffy had had this feeling that she was missing something, that something was here that she should know about. Buffy felt something she hadn't felt in a long time but she wasn't sure what it was, not yet anyway but she was sure she'd figure it out soon.

"I'm not part of the watcher's Council...do I look like a stuffy old British man to you?" Melinda asked offended.

"I beg your pardon!" Max and Giles both said as they looked at Melinda.

Anya looked at Melinda and smiled. "She's direct, I like her." Anya said as she stepped up to Xander. "She also made those demon haters leave." Anya said smiling as she looked up at Xander.

"Demon haters?" Tara asked.

"Yes...the stuffy old British demon haters." Anya said turning to Tara.

"You made them leave?" Buffy asked as she looked at Melinda.

Melinda turned to Buffy and smiled. "I did."

"I really don't like the way they think about the Council." Max said as he stepped up close to Melinda, his British accent giving away who or what he was.

"I'm Melinda and this is my watcher Max." Melinda said as she stepped toward Buffy and offered her hand to the other blonde, smiling.

Buffy looked at Melinda and stepped forward and took hold of Melinda's hand and shook it, she seemed harmless, and she seemed like an older blonder version of Dawn.

"I'm Buffy Summers."

"She knows who you are." Max said gruffly still offended by being called a stuffy old man.

"Max...get over it." Melinda said smiling as she looked at her watcher. "Excuse him...he's just not used to people not liking the council. Though Angel and I seem to be rubbing off some what on him." Melinda said smiling and then realized her mistake.

"You know Angel?" Buffy asked.

TBC...


	6. Part 6

_Thanks for the heads up Kim._ _Hope you enjoy this chapter._

**Part 6**

"You know Angel?" Buffy asked.

Xander looked at Willow and Tara and decided in that moment he wanted to know this woman better, know everything there was about her and if she wasn't going to talk well he'd find a way to make her talk. Or he'd just get Buffy to make her talk, yes that sounded like a plan, a very good plan

Melinda looked up at Buffy and then watched Max roll his eyes. Melinda made a face at Max before turning back to Buffy. She knew the history between Angel and Buffy better then one would assume. She was an empath after all; these kinds of things seemed to come natural for her. Melinda also knew some deep dark emotions that Buffy hid from everyone including herself, as often as possible involved Faith.

"Angel helped me." Melinda said looking at Buffy. "I have a past with him as well, though mine ended on a better note then yours." Melinda said and then continued before anyone could ask her the question they all wanted to know. "I found out a few years back that a woman I called 'mother' for my entire life had kidnapped me so she could use my gifts for her advantage." Melinda said looking down. "Its something I really don't like to talk about."

Tara looked up at Willow and Willow looked up at Xander who was looking at Melinda, they all didn't quiet understand how Angel came into the picture.

"How did Angel help you?" Buffy asked.

"He helped me hide from her." Melinda said. "He found me this great place and helped me pay for it."

"Until I found you." Max said.

Melinda rolled her eyes. "I was also hiding from the Watchers Council because they wanted to use me just as my mother did, for their own advantages. I was fourteen, and just trying to live a normal...or as normal life as I possibly could. I didn't want to be someone's tool to get what they wanted." Melinda said looking at Buffy before she turned to Max. "I still don't."

Max looked down at the floor and sighed. Even for as long as they'd known each other Melinda still had a hard time trusting him and he couldn't blame her. His loyalties lied with the people that were making her live a life she despised.

"Why are you here?" Buffy asked.

"I'm here to help you defeat Glori." Melinda said turning toward Buffy.

_How can she possibly help defeat Glori, I can barely keep my own with her how is this little girl supposed to fight against her, _Buffy thought.

"I have some information that you all will need as well." Melinda said turning toward the gang. "Glori isn't a demon."

"Oh great so what is she?" Xander asked throwing his arms up in the air. "Wonder Evil Woman?"

Melinda smiled and laughed lightly at Xanders attempt to lighten the mood. Melinda was no fool and she was easily capable of hearing Buffy's doubts in how much she could help her. Melinda also knew when Buffy was informed of this new information that doubt was going to became much greater.

"Glori is a God." Melinda said as she looked up and watched as everyone's facial expression became blank and they stared at Melinda before turning to Giles thinking he would know what had just been said.

"A G...God?" Tara asked as she looked at Melinda.

"She is no demon. She is a Hell Goddess seeking the key that will open the portals into every dimension so she can go back home." Melinda said this and looked at Giles.

Giles looked at Max. "Is this true?" He asked his fellow Brit.

"It is very true, and very scary." Max said as he sat down after Giles did.

"Glori's a God..." Buffy said and everyone turned toward her and watched her for a second.

TBC...


	7. Part 6B

**Part 6B**

Willow and Xander both tried to rush forward when they saw Buffy start to stagger but they didn't reach her in time. Melinda grabbed Buffy in her arms and laid her down to the floor gently. Melinda had been expecting something like this; she had just hoped it wouldn't really happen.

"Oh you've got to be joking!" Max cried as he turned around his arms thrown in the air. "That's..." He turned back around and pointed to Buffy. "...who's supposed to help defeat a Goddess...dear god we're screwed!" Max said angry and panicking.

"She won't have to do much of anything Max." Melinda said as she stood up as Willow, Xander and Tara picked Buffy up and started to carry her to the back room where there was a cot.

Giles wanted to follow the group into the back room but needed to understand what Melinda had just said. Giles saw Max pacing back and forth and he wanted to yell at the younger man for insulting his slayer because she passed out, only if he knew why it affected Buffy in such a way.

"I think you should stop..." Melinda said as she looked at Max. "...go home or to a bar either way you're really not needed." Melinda said as she looked at her watcher.

"You know, I think I'll take your advice!" Max said and grabbed his coat. "A Bar it is...I need a strong one."

Melinda and Giles watched Max leave and when the door closed behind the upset Brit Melinda turned to Giles. "If I can control my powers, a little better Buffy won't have to worry about Glori defeating her." Melinda said and watched Giles try to process this.

"How would improving your power enable Buffy to defeat Glori?" Giles asked.

"Because if I can create a barrier around Buffy while she fights Glori, she won't be able to be touched, and Glori's strength will be absorbed into the barrier making it even harder for her to penetrate it." Melinda said.

"You could do that?" Giles asked.

"I'm going to learn how." Melinda corrected.

"So you can't do it...yet?" Giles asked.

Melinda looked down ashamed she hadn't perfected it yet, she could create a barrier around herself to protect herself but she hadn't been able to perfect it by using the barrier on others, she'd been practicing with Max for a while and had started to practice with Faith but she still wasn't there yet.

"I can't do it yet no..." Melinda said but then looked up. "...but I will be able to soon!" Melinda said with conviction.

"Indeed." Giles said as he cleaned his glasses and started to walk toward the back room. "Before I go in there is there anything else I should know? Perhaps how to contact you?" Giles asked looking at the door to the back room, still cleaning his glasses.

"When you need me...I'll know." Melinda said. "As for knowing anything before going to the back room yes. Buffy is going to ask if you think I'm trustable." Melinda said and watched Giles put on his glasses. "I already know you're answer." Melinda said and walked to the entrance of the Magic Box. "Good day Mr. Giles." Melinda said as the shops door closed behind her.

Giles stared at the closed door and then placed his glasses on before taking a deep breath. "Well, things just got interesting." Giles stated and then let out a bitter laugh. "Things are always interesting on the hell mouth."

**------2 days later--------**

Faith walked around town for a little while killing time. She knew she'd have to be back at the house before sundown to get the jest of what happened. Max and Melinda just up and disappeared earlier that afternoon, something about the gang needing them. Faith sighed; it got really annoying to know she still wasn't welcome at the meetings even though Buffy and the gang knew she was back. Faith had decided along with Melinda and Max to let Giles tell Buffy she was back, and he had the day they arrived in town. Still...she wasn't allowed within five miles of the Summers' home or the Magic Box, while Buffy, Joyce or Dawn were inside.

They all had thought it better for Giles to tell Buffy she was here, so if and when Buffy ever came to terms with her she'd come and find her. It seemed like a great plan, except Faith was a nervous wreck. She never knew when Buffy would come looking for her and when she'd be allowed to attend the meetings. It just got on her nerves to know she was being excluded from things once again...like she had been the last time she was here.

The worst part of it was Melinda knew it and she couldn't do anything to help Faith, because she didn't know how to approach Buffy on the "Faith subject" because Buffy and her weren't getting on well as it were. Faith laughed at that…she had figured the Uber witch and Buffy would get along one, two, three…turns out they could hardly stand each other. Faith laughed when she thought back to the other day when Melinda had come home from running into Buffy, or for her Buffy the know it all Summers. It was funny to watch Melinda get upset about Buffy, it was entertaining and it kind of made her feel better to know not everyone fell to their knees while in Buffy's presence. Though…hell if given the opportunity Faith would fall to her knees in front of Buffy…for a very different reason.

"Oh…god…please stop thinking about that." Faith heard cried from inside the house. Faith laughed…she was on the porch to the house Melinda, Max and her now lived in and it seemed her thoughts were a little too graphic for the youngest member of the household.

Max looked up from his book confused. "Melinda, dear are you alright?" Max asked concerned.

"No….keep your thoughts at, at least an R rating!" Melinda exclaimed from somewhere deeper in the house.

"But…my thoughts are on a G rating…" Max whispered to himself as he looked at his book.

Faith laughed as she unlocked the door and walked in, throwing her keys into the bowl on the side table by the door. "She's talking to me Max…" Faith said as she walked into the Brits line of sight.

"Oh…" Max said looking up from his book to see Faith and watched the slayer walk toward the kitchen. "Well….that explains a lot." Max mumbled.

"I heard that!" Both Faith and Melinda exclaimed.

Max rolled his eyes and brought his book back up and began to read once again. Max looked up from his book just in time to watch Faith go flying through the air and land on the wooden floor sliding against the hard surface. Max dropped his book and was about to run over to Faith but saw Faith turn her head toward him and shake it, telling him to stay back.

"You think you can just come back….here and expect…expect to be welcomed back!?"

"Oh bloody hell!" Max said rolling his eyes and throwing his arms to his side, it was the other slayer, Buffy Summers. Max liked her, but hated her little temper tantrums….he had watched Melinda endure each one the blonde threw at her since they arrived, but now wondered if any of those compared to what he was witnessing at the moment.

Buffy stormed out of the kitchen and toward the fallen slayer, a malice look in her eyes. Melinda sighed as she rushed out of her bedroom. If it wasn't a demon, or a human that needed her saving it was Faith. Melinda had just seen a warlock casting a distraction spell, and then got a front row ticket to Buffy kicking the shit out of Faith and destroying all her brand new furniture. Besides, she didn't like Buffy's attitude, and this gave her an excuse to hit the blonde. Okay…she liked Buffy she just didn't like the ways she thought about Faith. They always moved from hating Faith to images of them together in bed and doing things that Melinda hadn't even known could be done.

"Faith….Faith…Buffy's…" Melinda stopped talking when she reached the stairs and saw Faith getting a fist to the face by none other then Buffy Summers. Melinda rolled her tongue and groaned, threw her hand as fast as she could up and watched as Buffy went flying to the other wall, and Faith just fell flat on the floor. "Damn it…!" Melinda cursed and she rushed down the last few steps and over to Faith, only to have the older woman push her away and stand on her own.

"Faith…" Melinda tried but failed to get Faith's attention.

"Not now!" Faith spat and walked over to Buffy, who was still trying to get out of the wall. "Stuck?" Faith asked as she glared at the blonde. "Here…" Faith grabbed onto Buffy's shirt collar and got ready to pull. "Let me help you…" Faith stated and tugged Buffy out of the wall and slammed her into the other wall in the small hallway, and held her up against the wall.

"Now…." Faith said and turned toward Melinda. "…you were saying?"

"She's under a spell." Melinda stated as she looked at Faith.

"A spell…?" Max asked as he stood from his chair and walked into the threshold of the house and looked down the hallway at Faith holding Buffy against the wall.

Buffy started to struggle against Faith's hold and Faith was losing her grip on the blonde and knew she was about to be slammed into the same wall that she had just helped Buffy out of.

"Little help here…" Faith stated as she blocked Buffy's kick only to get sucker punched and then another fist to her face.

Melinda rolled her eyes and snapped her finger, causing Buffy to stand still…a red barrier formed around her. Buffy tried to fight against it but, try as she might she couldn't break through it. Melinda rolled her eyes…it seemed slayers just were born stubborn. Max looked at Melinda and waited for the girl to explain to him how the top slayer in town was under a spell and why said spell would make her attack Faith. Okay…. there were hundreds of reasons to attack Faith…but even he knew not to take on the rouge slayer, he certainly didn't have a death wish and anyone that went up against with Faith had to have one.

"Max…not the right time to give me a headache!" Melinda said as she stepped forward. "Glori did this…she's trying to distract Buffy…so she can find The Key." Melinda stated as she stepped forward and looked into Buffy's eyes, seeing traces of emerald glow in Buffy's eyes. Melinda shook her head. "Max call Giles and get him to bring Willow and Tara." Melinda said, turned and walked to the door.

"Where are you going?" Faith asked as she caught up to Melinda, knowing Buffy wasn't going anywhere with that barrier around her.

"I'm going to protect The Key." Melinda stated.

"You know where it is?" Faith asked, grabbing Melinda's arm and turning the younger woman toward her.

"No…but Glori will lead me right to it." Melinda stated and turned to walk off.

"I'm coming with you…" Faith stated as she followed after Melinda, not really giving her the chance to object.

Melinda didn't object. Max could handle Buffy, while she was in the barrier and once Willow and Tara entered the house they'd undo the spell and get Buffy back. The only reason Melinda wasn't back at the house trying to find the spell to help Buffy, was because right now….The Key needed her more then Buffy did.

TBC….


	8. Part 7

**A/N: I hope you like this chapter. Sorry its taken so long for this update.**

**Part 7**

Dawn sat huddled in her chair trying to think of a way out of this. Dawn had broken into the magic shop with the help of Spike last night and they had read Giles' diary and when they did, she got the shock of her life. She wasn't human…she wasn't even real. She was just some magic key that the monks made human and gave a life to. A life that wasn't real…didn't happen. All her memories none of them happened, every time she fell of her bike, scraped her knee, got into an argument with her mother or got a Christmas present, none of that happened. It was all just fake memories downloaded into her and everyone around her.

Dawn looked up and watched as Glori paced back and forth talking and making no sense what so ever. It was then that Glori mentioned the key. Dawn looked up at her and got a new sense of bravery and courage and stood up, looking at Glori and asking her about the Key that she wanted to badly. It didn't go as she planned because the more Glori spoke about the Key the more she wanted her to stop.

"Is…is the Key evil?" Dawn asked in a shattered whisper.

"Evil…..oh no honey…" Glori never got to finish her sentence.

"Honey…..this, you bitch!" Faith yelled as she hit the back of Glori's head with a fire extinguisher.

Glori didn't even hit the floor she just stumbled but kept her balance. Now Faith knew what Buffy had been talking about, how powerful this bitch was. Though she didn't hear it from Buffy she heard it from Melinda, but right now that didn't matter she had to get the squirt out of that pronto. Faith watched in disbelief as Glori stood up straight, turned to her and smiled, her hand rubbing her head.

"Owtch…that hurt.." Glori said smiling as she looked at Faith. "….but its ganna hurt you a lot more!"

Faith went to take another swing at Glori with the extinguisher but Glori grabbed it and pushed it out of Faiths hand, throwing it against the wall and breaking the X-ray boards that were against the wall. Glori then blocked Faith's attempt to hit her, as well as her kick and threw her against the wall. Faith hit the wall hard and fell…down for the count for right now.

"Faith!" Dawn yelled and went to run over to Faith but stopped when Glori turned to her glaring at her.

"Now for you my little peanut." Glori said smiling as she took a step forward.

Melinda threw the door open, panting, and her eyes rushing around the room until they landed on a blonde woman going after Buffy's sister. She couldn't remember her name right now, because they hadn't been formally introduced…only had seen each other twice in the past two days, each time Buffy escorted the teenager out to go home with their mother. Melinda didn't think much of it…after all Buffy was only trying to protect her sister from knowing that the world could be coming to an end… because of the woman standing in front of her. Melinda sighed she had gotten it right. She had felt some kind of growing power here at the hospital, and had sent Faith ahead of her when she was pulled over by some doctor, asking her what she was doing here. She had done a small mind-tampering spell, to make the young doctor think she wasn't actually there and then had come running through the halls following the growing aura of anger and fear.

"We're busy in here….you should leave." Glori stated as she glared at Melinda and turned back toward Dawn and slowly stepped toward her, expecting the girl to have left.

Melinda wasn't going to leave because Buffy's sister was in the room, but when she saw Faith on the ground against the wall…she lost it. Faith was her only friend in this town…the only one she'd ever given her trust to and had realized she hadn't made a mistake by giving it to her…and besides her and Faith were like Buffy and Dawn…they were like sisters.

"You bitch!" Melinda spat and threw her hand up toward the ceiling and Glori went flying into the opposite wall, getting stuck in the plaster just like Buffy had back at home.

As Glori was struggling to get out of the wall Melinda and Dawn both ran over to Faith and tried to wake the slumbering slayer up from her forced nap.

"Faith…time to get up!" Melinda said shaking Faith's shoulders, her eyes looking in the corner of the room where she saw Glori standing up straight, brushing off the plaster that covered her outfit. "Shit…" Melinda said and stood up, getting in front of Dawn and Faith. "Get Faith up and out of here." Melinda said, her eyes still on Glori as she spoke to Buffy's sister, whose name she still couldn't recall.

"Who are you?" Glori asked as she eyed Melinda. Glori could tell that Melinda was no ordinary witch, there was a glow about Melinda that told her that this young witch was extremely powerful and that killing her was going to be fun.

"I'm…your worst nightmare!" Melinda said simply as she bent down…her arms and body moving into a defensive position. Melinda knew she was exactly that…but she thought it ironic to tell Glori that, and have the Goddess think she was just a cocky witch.

Melinda heard Dawn's voice, the teenager trying to coax Faith out of her slumber.

"Come on Faith…get up…get up…come on we have to get out of here!" Dawn said starting to panic when she saw Glori up on her feet. "Come on Faith…get up!" Dawn yelled at Faith as she shock the rogue slayers shoulders.

It wasn't until Melinda heard Faith groan that she knew that Dawn's yelling was working. What better to wake Faith up then to yell? She had to yell at the brunette every morning to get her up…why not yell at her while she's unconscious to get her up as well? Melinda turned her head to Glori and eyed the Goddess…just as long as Faith and Buffy's sister got out of here everything would be okay. Glori was slowly walking from side to side as she eyed Melinda, taking the teenage witch and trying to comprehend why she would be protecting the peanut.

"You're a friend of the slayers…" Glori sultry stated as she looked at Melinda, her pacing stopped so she was directly in front of Melinda, just on the other side of the room.

"Yes…" Melinda said…technically not lying since she was a friend of Faith's.

As far as Melinda knew Glori had no idea that Faith was a slayer as well. She was almost positive that Glori thought Faith was just another one of Buffy's little friends. It was better she thought that…because the less she knew about Faith the better advantage Faith would have against Glori when the time came that they had it out.

Melinda was trying to read Glori's mind but found she couldn't so she stopped trying. Melinda needed all the energy she could spare because this wasn't going to be easy. She needed to distract Glori long enough to Faith and….

"Dawn…" Melinda whispered finally recalling the girl's name. Dawn…Dawn… Melinda's eyes grew, that dream…that prophetic dream…her dream. Find Dawn and you'll find the key. That's all it was…a voice telling her to find Dawn…while the sun was raising in the distance blinding her. Now…she found Dawn…and Dawn would lead her to the Key. That's all she needed to know, its all the PTB would give her and its all she was taking from them at the moment.

TBC….

**

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed the chapter and will continue to read and let me know what you think._**


	9. Part 7B

**Part 7B**

Dawn heard Melinda whisper her name and was going to ask what she wanted her to do, but was distracted when Faith grabbed her wrist, scaring her and making her look back toward the older woman.

"Dawn…you alright?" Faith asked as she brought her free hand up to her head and rubbed the back of it.

"Fine..." Dawn said out of breath. "Come on…we have to go!" Dawn said as she helped Faith stand.

Faith looked up and saw Melinda standing in front of them, in a fighting position. Seems like Melinda was going to have some fun with the Hell Goddess. Faith looked down at the ground and brought her hand up to her head…that damn bitch had one wicked curve ball, Faith being the ball thrown and the wall being the catcher's glove. Dawn saw Faith was having a little trouble standing up on her own, and not really caring that Buffy had insisted she stay away from Faith, she lifted Faith's arm and put it around her shoulder and held the other woman up.

"Aww….is the little hero hurt?" Glori asked with a sly grin, showing she didn't give a damn if Faith was hurt but rather pleased with herself for doing that.

Melinda turned toward the door and watched it as if waiting for something. It didn't come. Melinda turned to Faith and Dawn and actually turned her back away from Glori and put her hands on Dawn's shoulder and pushed her away from the side of the room where the door was, and towards the other side of the room, away from the exit. Faith and Dawn looked at her oddly but Dawn had no choice in the matter, Melinda was a lot stronger then she looked, and because Dawn didn't have a choice Faith didn't have one either.

Just as they made it to the corner of the room Melinda turned around, dropping to the ground and swinging her leg around behind her. Glori had moved up behind her and when she tried to swipe Glori's feet from under her, Glori jumped up and was kicked into the wall by Faith who had pushed Dawn aside and lifted her leg and kicking right into Glori's chest with all she had, sending the goddess to the other wall once again.

Just as Glori hit the wall and fell to the ground once again the door to the room went flying through the air and crashed into the same wall Gloir had, only in a different space. Dawn and Faith looked at Melinda, and watched as she rose from her feet and looked toward the now…doorway…minus the door. Dawn was amazed.

"How did you know?" Dawn asked as she looked between Melinda and the doorway.

Melinda just smiled and watched as Buffy, Willow, Tara, Xander and Giles rushed into the room ready for a fight. Buffy eye's met Melinda's and then moved around the room, saw Faith and Dawn standing beside Melinda and across from them, trying to get off the floor was Glori. Buffy rushed over to the group and took hold of Dawn's shoulders.

"Are you alright?" Buffy asked franticly.

Dawn nodded her head and looked over at Glori and then moved her eyes to Faith and Melinda. "They saved me." Dawn simply said.

"Not yet they haven't munchkin." Glori said as she stood up. "I'm not done with you….any of you yet." Glori said as she smiled and looked right at Faith. "Nice kick sweetheart too bad it's not good enough." Glori says as she pushes aside a tray that had been in the middle of the room, making up the imaginary line that separated her from the good guys.

Melinda seeing this stepped back in front of Faith, her eyes glued to Glori's as she watched the blonde very carefully. Melinda knew without looking that Buffy was in front of Dawn and could see in the corner of her eye that Xander and Giles were moving in front of Tara and Willow, blocking the two witches from her line of sight. Even if they were out of her sight, Melinda knew that they were casting some spell…the low chanting reaching her ears and just the feeling of a magic aura beginning to build gave her enough information to know that the group hadn't just barged in here with their guns blazing. They had a plan.

Faith just smiled back. "Then come on back over, let me try again." Faith stated as she tried to step around Melinda, but was stopped when Melinda put her arm out and kept her back. "I'd put that arm down if I were you…" Faith stated very seriously. She could love Melinda deeply but if Melinda got in the way of her slaying they were going to have some problems.

'_Stay back…'_ Melinda instructed, her eyes still on Glori, her mouth not moving.

'_Don't tell me to stay back!'_ Faith almost yelled at Melinda, but held back when she saw Melinda cringe a little at the exclaimed thought.

'_This is not the time to be arguing. Listen to me Faith, please_!' Melinda told Faith as her

'_Fine…'_ Faith said and took a step back toward the wall, without further instruction or outburst.

"Change your mind?" Glori asked smiling as she looked at Faith. "Good choice."

"Yeah…right." Faith mumbled under her breath and looked down at the ground and tried to calm herself down. This bitch was going to get her ass kicked if she didn't shut up. Or Faith was going to get hers kicked while she tried to kick Glori's.

Buffy looked over toward Faith, almost ready to yell at the younger girl for actually letting her guard down and stepping back from going after Glori. Buffy knew that she wasn't going to be able to take Glori on her own, she'd tried that it hadn't turned out well at all. Buffy saw Faith's clenched fists, Faith wanted in on the fight but she'd stepped out of it, but why? Buffy looked up at the blonde standing in front of Faith, she still didn't know anything about her but for now she was willing to give her a chance. She had saved Dawn…or so far had saved Dawn and she'd thank her for that later now she was just waiting to see what happened next. Glori had to make the first move because she wasn't leaving Dawn's side until she was sure she had to.

"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to attack?" Melinda asked as she looked at the blonde goddess in front of her.

'_Melinda are you crazy…let her stand there!'_ Faith screamed mentally to Melinda. _'Do you have a death wish? I couldn't even faze her…what can you do?'_

Glori smiled. "Its your death wish…" Glori said smiling as she tried to lundge forward but couldn't move.

Glori looked up at the blonde in front of her and once again tried to move but was stopped by something the little witch was generating with her eyes. Her eyes were glowing white…and Glori didn't like that one bit. Glori tried to fight against whatever was holding her and found every time she moved whatever was around her got tighter and it became harder to breath each time she fought against the invisible barrier.

Everyone watched as Glori stood there trying to take steps forward but was caught in something. Buffy knew exactly what it was so did Faith, they both had fallen victim once to being the poor sap stuck in those barriers. Faith saw Glori fighting even harder against the barrier and caught Melinda starting to sway back and forth as Glori did. Faith rushed forward and grabbed onto Melinda's shoulders and saw for the first time that Melinda was bleeding, her nose was dripping blood and she was as pale as a ghost.

"What ever your going to do…do it now!" Melinda said loudly, her eyes still glaring at Glori, this was a lot harder then it ever had been and it was taking too much out of her too fast. She couldn't hold this for much longer. The only reason she hadn't already let go on the barrier and passed out was because Faith had stepped forward and placed her hands on her shoulder. Faith knew exactly what that would do.

One day while they had been sparing Melinda had over done it and ended up unconscious on the floor with Faith franticly trying to help her and calling for Max. Max had come in and insisted that Faith not touch her while she was like that, because while she slept she couldn't control her powers. While she was unconscious it was no different. Max had, done that once and when Melinda had woken up she had all of Max's memories but also she had drained almost all of his life force and took it for herself. She had to rush Max to the hospital because when she woke up he was lying on the floor next to her bed barely breathing. It was something she still couldn't control yet, but she knew she would learn how too.

Faith's hands on her shoulders helped, because Faith was lending her strength to her but she knew if Faith didn't back away soon that when this was over they'd have to stay here in the hospital.

As Melinda said this Glori turned toward the sound of chanting and opened her mouth to say something but before she could someone threw dust into her face and Puff she was in mid air above some city falling.

"Oh….shi…."

-----------

When Faith caught Melinda the blonde was still half conscious.

"Put me down…" Melinda said in one smooth breath though her chest was rising up and down as if she should be panting but she wasn't.

Faith gently laid her down to the floor and once Melinda's head touched the ground her eyes closed and her chest continued to rise and fall rapidly. Her heart was racing and she was having a hard time keeping herself calm. There was so much she could feel now…so much energy, fear, joy, sadness, pain, from every direction she was being bombarded with feelings, emotions, and she was so tired that she couldn't take it, she passed out.

Willow fell into Tara's arms. Tara was telling Willow that, that was the last time they were ever doing that spell until they knew they could handle it. Willow agreed and let Tara and Xander help her stand up. Tara and Xander were just getting her to her feet when they heard Faith call for help a little franticly. It wasn't news that Faith was in town and they hadn't exactly come to terms with the other woman but when they heard her plea and saw the look of fear in her eyes they stopped thinking about the past.

"You two okay?" Xander asked and when Tara and Willow both nodded her let Tara take on Willow's weight and rushed over to where Faith was kneeling in front of Melinda.

Xander like the young girl, they got a long better then anyone else. Melinda hadn't been taken lightly when she arrived and at first she was an outsider and she still was, she was someone the council had sent to watch them, or that's how Willow and Buffy felt. Xander wasn't sure. The young girl seemed genuine and she seemed to have done something that not even he or Buffy could do, and that was tame Faith.

Giles and Buffy kneeled down in front of Melinda first and when Giles went to touch the young woman Faith grabbed his hand and held it away from her. Giles and Buffy both looked up at Faith to see what was wrong with her for stopping him from trying to help the blonde and the look and what they saw in Faith's eyes told them to step back a second, or they'd get their asses kicked.

"Don't touch her…" Faith said softly, her eyes moving back to Melinda's face, her hand still grasping Gile's wrist to make sure he listened to her.

"Why?" Buffy asked as she looked down at Melinda and then up to Faith. "If we're going to help we need to get her to a doctor or to at least try and figure out what's wrong." Buffy said trying to rationalize if for her and Faith, she saw the look Faith wore, she knew that look, she had worn it herself when she came into the room and saw Dawn and Glori in the same room. It was fear and love all in one look and longing. A longing to know that you could keep the person you held that look for safe.

"If you touch her, you'll die." Faith said seriously and once the words left her lips every member in the room tensed, knowing that the old Faith was back once again.

TBC….


	10. Part 8

_A/N: Sorry its taken so long to update this story. I have a lot of other stories as well as this one and I'm just getting around to updating them. I hope you'll continue to read and review and enjoy this story. I have a few updates already written and ready to be posted but I am going to space out the updates so they come at a somewhat steady pace. I hope those who have been reading this story will continue to read, enjoy and reply. _

_--------------------------------------------------_

**Part 8**

"What did you just say?" Buffy asked as she mentally got herself ready to have to fight with Faith once again.

Buffy had hoped that Giles was right, that Melinda was right and that Faith wasn't like she used to be. She had wished that Faith could be trusted, that she wouldn't have to worry about fighting Faith as well as fighting Glori. It seemed Faith had been her number one problem because when Glori's goon did that spell on her the only person she went after was Faith. Buffy didn't want to know what that meant. The spell was a distraction spell, yes, but it was the kind of distraction spell that had her worried. Willow and Tara hadn't told her after they finished the spell to counter act the original one but she remembered what they had said while she was tied up and they were looking for the right spell to perform.

**------Two hours Ago------**

"So tell me again why Ms. Super teenage witch couldn't do this spell if it's so simple?" Willow asked as she flipped through a book, upset that everyone was so praiseful of Melinda's powers and it was like she and Tara didn't exist unless Melinda was busy.

Even Giles had started to call upon Melinda to do spells that Tara and her used to do for the gang…it was like she was being replaced and she wasn't all too keen on the liking Melinda had just taken from everyone, including her girlfriend. Tara and Melinda just hit it off and it made Willow upset but she kept it to herself…. some times.

"Like I said…. she and Faith went to go after Glori….you expect them to tell me where they're going?" Max asked and even with the crappy lighting the bulb above them, with the dusk feeling the basement gave off was able to watch as Tara's eyebrow raised.

"Well are…are…n't you their watcher?" Tara asked.

"Yes, dear I am, but they refuse to take my authority serious." Max stated and went through another book, sighing.

It was so much easier for Melinda to just put her hand above the pages and then retract it when she came upon the right spell they were looking for, it seemed he took that little gift of hers for granted but not after today because this having to look up spells took time and was rather boring. Max sighed once again and then slapped his palm against the flat of the page he had turned in the book and shoved it toward Willow.

"Here it is…" Max said happily. "…now all we need are these ingredients, your chants and we'll know what reversal spell to look for." Max said happy to know he had found the first spell himself and felt comfortable to let the two women find the other spell when the time came, he'd just busy himself with looking after the older slayer…who was tied to a chair attached to the wall in the far corner of the basement.

**----15 minutes later------**

"This can't be right…." Willow said shaking her head, as she looked down at the results the spell came up with.

Max walked up to Willow to look over what the young witch was having trouble with. Tara was standing besides Willow and knew by the look on her lover's face that the results they just came back with scared her. Tara couldn't blame her; Faith had always scared Willow, more so because of the affect the rouge slayer had on Buffy. Tara wasn't as afraid as Willow or the gang about Faith's reappearance because when she had come by to meet the young slayer and worn her not to come near Willow with the intent to harm her, she had seen something in Faith that she didn't see in may people. Change….

"Oh bloody hell…" Max groaned as he saw the results. "…that bloody goon put a hearts most desired distraction spell on the poor girl." Max said and went to his collection of spell books to find a reversal.

"I've never heard of that…" Tara said honestly. She had heard of love spells but none, which would actually cause the person the spell was cast on to attack the one their heart most desired. "…a love spell sending a person to try and kill the one they most desire? Doesn't that happen only if…." Tara stopped talking. "…Oh…"

"Yes, Oh…" Max said as he came back with the spell book. "….Faith must have rejected Buffy and because she did Buffy came here to kill her to make sure no one else could have her." Max stated and handed the two witches the spell book. "There's the reversal spell. I'm going to get a drink." Max stated and headed toward the liquor cabinet.

**----------Present----------**

Faith rolled her eyes, she still wasn't trusted and she could understand that but when she was just trying to warn them they thought it was a threat to kill them.

"No…you don't understand. If you touch her…she'll kill you…I mean not on purpose!" Faith said when she saw Buffy and Giles' look. "While unconscious she can't control her powers!" Faith said and swatted Giles hand away from touching Melinda. "I'm serious…she almost killed me and Max!"

Xander looked down at the girl. "Well if she can keep Glori back and almost kill you…which seems impossible at times…I'm just ganna back it up a step." Xander said while nodding and stepping back.

Faith looked up at Xander and glared before shaking her head.

"So how do we get her out of here without touching her?" Buffy asked as she leaned back.

"I don't….ugh…give me a minute." Faith said as she closed her eyes and placed her head in her hands.

"Use a stretcher?" Dawn suggested as she looked at the group.

Faith looked up at the pipsqueak and then looked back down at Melinda and nodded her head, while Giles and Buffy turned to Dawn and looked at her unbelieving that she came up with the idea.

"What…?" Dawn asked crossing her arms. "…I can come up with good ideas too you know! I'm not a complete idiot."

Faith snorted and Dawn glared. Faith looked up and looked back and forth showing she was rather confused as to why she was getting death glares from the Summers' women.

"What?" Faith asked and then rolled her eyes, which caused Dawn and Buffy to roll their eyes as well. Faith sighed and stood up. "Let's use the stretcher!"

"Um…one thing…" Dawn said as she grabbed the stretcher and brought it up to her sister and Faith. "How do you get her on it without touching her?" Dawn asked realizing the downfall to her plan.

"Easy…" Faith said as she bent down and grabbed a hold of Melinda's shirt, making sure not to touch the witch's skin. "….hope the shirt doesn't rip." Faith said as she lifted Melinda into the air by her shirt and then put her on the stretcher, the shirt just ripping as she made it to the stretcher.

"Now what do we do?" Dawn asked, and everyone looked at her. "What…I'm just voicing the same questions you're all thinking about."

"Yes…well….stop that." Giles stated as he took off his glasses and cleaned them.

**-----20 minutes later-----**

"MAX…..MAX….get your ass down here!" Faith called out as she and Buffy carried the hospital mattress that held Melinda on it into the house that Faith, Melinda and Max had been living in since they arrived in town.

Max rushed out from the kitchen and looked up to see Faith and Buffy standing in the doorway holding some kind of mat that held Melinda on it. Max rushed forward but stopped short of touching Melinda when he saw she was unconscious. Max looked up at Faith sternly, Faith was supposed to protect Melinda and if she had been doing her job correctly Max thought that Melinda wouldn't exactly be in a bed unconscious.

"What in the bloody hell did you do to her now!?" Max asked as he glared at Faith.

TBC….


	11. Part 8B

**The Oracle**

**Part 8B**

Faith glared at Max and if she could growl she definitely would have been doing it right now, but since she was actually human she was doing her best imitation of one.

"I didn't do this you British bastard. Now are you just going to stand there or are you going to help us?" Faith spat as she looked over at Max still holding the mattress with Melinda on it in the air with Buffy's help.

Buffy looked over at Faith questioningly and then turned back and watched as Max waved them into the living room. He had a scowl on his face and it made Buffy wonder how on earth Faith and Max could live in the same household and how Melinda hadn't gone insane yet. Then again maybe she had. Right now it didn't matter, Melinda had proven herself in Buffy's eyes. Melinda had saved them from Glori, had saved Dawn and Faith had tried as well. If that didn't say something to her about Faith's change then the fact that Faith stuck her tongue out at Max and the Brit actually did the same, did. It was as if Faith were a child, but not the same kind of child she had been last time she was here. This time she had family and friends and people she counted on and trusted and they seemed to keep her sane, keep her on their side and maybe had been the ones to change her.

Buffy hoped that Faith hadn't changed as much as she thought the younger girl did. Buffy had fallen for the bad girl that Faith once was, and hoped maybe that Faith, though once again fighting for their side hadn't lost that bad girls edge she once had possessed. What made Faith, Faith was her bad side, her love to slay and to kick ass. That side, Buffy had seen hadn't left Faith. Now there was just some control in the brunette. Faith could control herself, she knew when enough was enough, when to stop, to start and how to act. In short, Faith had grown up.

Buffy was taken from her thoughts when Faith started to walk further into the house. They walked into a living room that showed how many different styles were held in one house. Faith's, black leather couch, Max's beautiful painted landscapes adorning the walls and the many books that Melinda was seen carting around in her back pack, on the book shelf in the corner of the room where there was a small desk away from the small living room set of a couch, two arm chairs, coffee table and a tv set.

"Wow…." Xander stated as he walked into the house following the rest of the group.

"Nice place." Dawn said nodding her head as she looked around as she entered the house.

Tara and Willow walked in behind him and Anya stood in front of him looking around the house taking it all in, but not seeming the least bit impressed with it. Tara and Willow looked around the house but seemed less impressed as well, mostly because they had already been in the house and had seen it all already. Giles was the same, he had already experienced the unknown and intriguing factor the day he came to the house the first time, which was some time ago.

"Here…" Max stated as he pulled the coffee table out from the middle of the living room and removed the small rug to reveal an already drawn pentagram in the middle of the floor. "….put her in the middle." Max stated as he rolled up the rug, placed it against the wall and then walked across the living room to retrieve a book from within Melinda's desk.

"You sure you want to go into those again, Max?" Faith asked from where she stood in the middle of the living room, her hands on her hips and her eyes challenging Max.

The last time the Brit had opened the draw he was hit with one of the protection spells that Melinda had used on her books to keep them out of the hands of anyone but herself. Max had tried to read Melinda's diary, after he assumed she knew information and was not sharing it with him, boy had that been a mistake. The foolish man was thrown all the way across the room and then zapped five times by some invisible electrical charge and here he was trying to take one of her spell books, which held an even more powerful protection spell.

"I do not plan on opening it. I plan on getting Tara to open it, since she helped Melinda in putting up the protection spell." Max stated with as much attitude a British man could hold after the day he'd had.

Tara looked over at Max and was about to begin with her explanations why she couldn't do that when Dawn interrupted.

"Ah…guys…."

"Not now Dawn.." Buffy stated as she turned to face Max. "…What is it you need from her desk and why is it guarded by a protection spell?"

"Its her spell books, and diary." Faith answered as she looked at Buffy and then turned to Max.

"But….guys!" Dawn stated and was ignored once again.

"Dawn not now!" Buffy stated as she turned to look at her sister for a second before turning back to Max. "You tried to get her Diary!? That's just wrong!" Buffy stated as she looked over at Max. "What's wrong with you? You don't try to read someones diary!"

"It was for good reasons I assure you." Max stated as he looked over at Buffy feeling the need to defend himself.

"There's never a good reason to read someone's diary." Faith and Buffy stated at the same time.

"It is when you believe you're charge knows what and where the Key is and won't tell you…"

Buffy went silent as did the rest of the gang, and they seemed to tense for a moment before they all slowly turned to Dawn when her final outburst was too loud to ignore this time.

"GUYS!" Dawn all but screamed as she slowly raised her hand to point at Melinda. "Is she supposed to be floating?" Dawn then asked almost whispering as she watched a girl that was her own age floating in the air and no one seemed to think that it was a big deal, except her.

TBC….

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_A/N: Glad you're still enjoying this story. And as of now I'm thinking about making some changes with the predicted couples but I'm still not sure. I was wondering which character you'd prefer Faith with. Melinda or Buffy? Help a girl out here...let her know what you want._


	12. Part 9

**_ A/N: Well it seems a lot of you want Faith with Buffy. I still haven't decided on which to pair her with. The idea of having Buffy and Melinda fight for Faith is interesting and I may try that. The original idea of this story was to put Faith with Buffy but as I'm writting it I can see why and where Faith and Melinda could fall in love. Again still haven't decided so all those who haven't said which couple they'd prefer please let me know. _**

Okay...this chapter has been edited. I was made aware that I mistakenly and unknowingly used the wrong term for what I was trying to get across in this chapter. Anyway...here's another update. Hope you all enjoy.

**

* * *

**

**Part 9**

_"GUYS!" Dawn all but screamed as she slowly raised her hand to point at Melinda. "Is she supposed to be floating?" Dawn then asked almost whispering as she watched a girl that was her own age floating in the air and no one seemed to think that it was a big deal, except her. _

Faith and Max both turned their eyes to Melinda. They looked at each other before coming to a single conclusion. Faith grabbed Buffy's shoulders and started to pull the blonde out of the room. Max rushed to the entrance to the living room and opened his arms and ushered Giles, the young spiteful blonde and the two witches out from the room in a hurry. Faith let go of one of Buffy's shoulders and scooped Dawn up around her waist and lifted her up and carried her out of the living room. Both the Summer's women complaining as they were steered out of the room like cattle.

"Put me down…" Dawn cried as she kicked her legs and tried to pry Faith's arm from her waist.

"Let go of me…I can walk on my own." Buffy protested in union.

"Close the door." Faith said as she carried Dawn in one arm and continued to pull Buffy by the shirt, into the rather large dinning room area across from the living room.

Just like many houses in the area there were glass doors that closed the living room in from peering eyes as well as wooden doors that slid closed and hid the dinning room. Once within the dinning area Faith groaned as she got a mouthful of Dawn's shoe.

"Oh bloody hell!" Faith cried as she dodged the next kick and placed Dawn not so gently down on one of the six chairs surrounding the dinning table. "Oh what the fuck!" Faith cursed as she stomped her foot, agitated with herself for using that British curse. "This is your fault!" Faith said as she pointed at Max as he slid the dinning room doors closed, only after the rest of the gang came into the room.

"MY fault….how is this my fault…I wasn't even with you when…." Max tried to defend himself as he closed the doors and turned incredulously toward Faith.

"Not about Melinda you daft…ahh…there I go again!" Faith cried as she slapped one hand over her mouth and pointed at Max her eyes showing her outrage at using British profanity.

"Oh get over it you twit!" Max said as he held the sliding doors closed.

"Not that I want to interrupt because this is actually quiet entertaining…" Xander stated as he tilted his head one way and looked at the British man and his old enemy going at it like school children. "…but what the hell is going on?!" Xander exclaimed as he threw his arms up into the air and then let them fall as he looked at Max and then turned to Faith.

"Yes…I'd like to know the reason for this as well." Giles stated as he stepped forward, his glasses already off and his hands busy cleaning the lenses.

"She's going to implode." Faith and Max stated as they shrugged her shoulders.

"Explode you mean Faith." Max corrected. Faith just rolled her eyes not caring if she used the wrong vocabulary word. Either way she knew what was going to happen.

Xander, Willow, Tara, Buffy, and Dawn's jaws all went slack as they looked at the bickering duo. They stated this like it was a normal day occurrence, not the oddity that it truly was. Exploding still consisted of blowing up from the inside, they were all positive about this so then why was it that this fact didn't seem to disturb or even bother Faith or Max.

"Oh of course because people normally do that…" Giles stated as he nodded his head from side to side slowly. "….are you two mentally challenged?" Giles asked his voice raising as he looked at his old charge and his young countryman.

"Of course not!" Max stated as he looked at Giles and turned back to the doors and gripped the handles of both doors tightly. "Its not a normal day occurrence…it only happens every so often."

"But she's actually going to implode?" Dawn asked her voice alerting all to how seriously cool, and frightening she thought this was.

"Explode…" Max and Faith said as they looked at Dawn. "There's a difference."

"What's the difference if she's going to explode?" Dawn asked knowing the difference between exploding and imploding, but right now she didn't see the difference in them if it meant that the girl that had saved her life wasn't going to make it through it. Then again, Faith and Max had said this has happened before so that was a little comforting, but not very much.

"The difference in if she imploded she'd explode from the inside, and then collapse into herself. Exploding is what's she's going to do. If she imploded she'd be the only one affected by it." Anya stated, she had been around once or twice and a powerful witch exploding magical energy. It was exhilarating to feel the magic power rush right through your body.

Anya was looking forward to this, so as she sat in one of the chairs surrounding the table she leaned back and closed her eyes relaxing her muscles as she awaited this free high.

"What do you mean she'd be the only one effected?" Xander asked as he turned toward his girlfriend still on edge from the fact that the witch in the other room was going to explode…implode…whatever it was all the same to him because there was still going to be a big BOOM at the end of it.

"The difference is what is released when she explodes. Not literally of course. We won't get covered in blood and guts or anything. She's going to explode magic." Anya explained as she closed her eyes.

"Faith…a little assistance…" Max stated as he held onto the doors, readying himself for what he knew was coming.

Faith walked over to the doors and pushed against it, readying herself for the explosion of pure magical energy that was about to rush through the house, and right through these doors if she didn't hold them closed. Last time this happened was the day Melinda had fallen unconscious. It seemed while she was unconscious she couldn't control the powers she used or the channeling of powers she normally could easily control. She was The Oracle, a witch that's power came from the earth and everything on it. Melinda's power came from nature, it came from human nature and physical nature of the planet and the universe. She was the only person alive that would not only be able to control the planet earth on a whim but also the rest of time and space.

At first it had scared Faith. What scared her was not Melinda but what her power truly consisted of. What she could do whenever she pleased, but what frightened her was how she controlled it. How such a small young woman, such as Melinda could control all the power that she held within herself and around her. Melinda could bend time with a snap of a finger, she could destroy every living thing on this planet and any planet that was in this universe and the next with a blink of an eye, and yet she didn't do it. Melinda didn't use her powers to help herself, well only when the time called for it, but she used it to help others, for the benefit of others. That scared her, that Melinda faced temptation every single moment of every day and was able to prevail over it, to stay on course, where she couldn't and she had less to worry about and far less temptation.

"You two are serious!?" Buffy asked, her eyes slowly growing in proportion as she realized that Faith and Max were actually serious. A part of her was actually nervous about this how thing, after all when was the last time she had been in the vicinity of a witch exploding….? Hell with all the crazy things that had happened to her during her years as a slayer, a witch imploding, was something she hadn't actually witnessed or been a part of yet.

'_Well there's a first time for everything._' Buffy thought as she looked the few feet in front of her and saw Faith and Max, bracing themselves against the closed door.

"What is it she's going to release when she explodes?" Xander asked.

"Magic…I (Anya) said that already." Anya, Faith, Max, Willow and Tara answered.

"Magic?" Xander, Buffy, Dawn and Giles asked.

"Magic!" Faith said as she turned "She's going to erupt magic. Its like a volcano I guess you could say. The pressures built to its boiling point and it has nowhere else to go but up…or in this case out. All the energy she isn't able to control while unconscious is going to be released."

"When a witch is unable to control her power or has stored such a vast amount of power and hasn't taken the protocol to release it slowly the magic from within them will explode, erupt or blow up. What ever you'd like to call it. It just happens from the inside and forces its way out." Willow explained as she moved around Xander and Giles, her hand holding on tightly to Tara's as she led them over to the wall and sat down with Tara beside her.

"It…it…it'll be a blast of pure magic energy and will pass through anything and everything for as wide a radius as it needs to release the energy. If you're not relaxed and comfortable the energy could kill you." Tara said as she sat down next to Willow and leaned against the wall relaxing.

"So you're saying if I'm tense…that I'm ganna die when this pure magic energy passes through me? Oh that's just great…now I'm never going to relax!" Xander stated as he started to panic.

Giles looked over at Buffy and after a brief moment of eye contact the two of them switched places. Buffy would help Xander relax and he would be near Dawn to make sure she was all right. Though from the smile and how relaxed she was sitting in her chair, he was quiet sure he got the good end of the deal.

"Xander calm down and sit down." Buffy stated as she pulled Xander over to a chair and sat him down.

"How can I be calm…I'm ganna die…there's really no coming back from being dead." At Buffy's look Xander rephrased that. "Okay…for you there's a way to come back, but for an ordinary guy like me…not so much chance of coming back from that."

"Oh, dear lord." Max stated as he rolled his eyes and stepped away from the door and let Faith take over in holding the doors closed.

Max walked around Xander's chair and before the young man could ask what it was he was doing Max pressed his thumb and forefinger against Xander's throat and the young man was out like a light and his muscles as relaxed as humanly possible.

"There…." Max stated as he stepped away from the chair.

"What did you do to him?" Giles and Buffy asked.

"I put the poor lad to sleep. Don't worry….when this is over he'll wake up with a new found energy and a new way to annoy the living snoot out of me." Max stated as he walked up to the door and leaned against it, closing his eyes as he relaxed against it.

"How much time do we hav…." Dawn went to ask but her question was cut off when a searing cry let out from within the other room and within seconds the table, walls, and items around them started to shake and a bright searing white light released through ever single particle in the room.

Faith was the first hit, and as it passed through her she slowly started to fall backwards from the hit, but as the light remained in the room she stopped falling mid air and was left almost bent to make a U shape. Max was also pushed forward and he groaned at the force of the magic energy but started to fall none the less, his arms still crossed over his chest as he started to fall face first toward the floor but just like Faith he stopped mid fall and staid where he was.

Willow and Tara continued to hold hands as they let the light pass right through them. As it passed through them both it changed from its pure white color. As it passed through Willow it became a bright blue color and as it passed through Tara the light became a goldish white color. When it passed through Buffy and Xander it slowly reverted back to its white color.

As the light passed through Faith it became a light gray and Dawn worried that the light being gray would somehow affect what ever it was that the side effects were. Though her worries faded away when she felt Giles squeeze her hand and watched it pass through him and go right into her. As the light energy passed through Dawn all she could think about was how wonderful it felt. The light was so warm and peaceful and it just seemed to take with it all her worries, fears and doubts that had been plaguing her since she found out she was The Key. Everything disappeared from within her and in its place was this warmth she had never known could exist. When the light emerged on the other side of Dawn it was no longer the gray or white it had once been but it was a different assortment of colors, beautiful colors that seemed to form a rainbow behind her. The last thing anyone remembered seeing before the light intensified and they all passed out was the beautiful array of colors emitting from Dawn as the pure magic energy passed through her.

TBC….


	13. Part 10

_A/N: Thank you all for the reviews. Helps to know people are enjoying this story. To let all of those who have been voting on couples for this story I am still at a lose for which couple to actually have in this story. The fact that I like and want both couples doesn't help much, but when I figure out which couple to use, you'll know. (wink) Hope you enjoy this update._

_Information to know for this chapter_: **Visions in this chapter will be in bold and flash backs will be in italics.**

**Part 10**

_As the light passed through Faith it became a light gray and Dawn worried that the light being gray would somehow affect what ever it was that the side effects were. Though her worries faded away when she felt Giles squeeze her hand and watched it pass through him and go right into her. As the light energy passed through Dawn all she could think about was how wonderful it felt. The light was so warm and peaceful and it just seemed to take with it all her worries, fears and doubts that had been plaguing her since she found out she was The Key. Everything disappeared from within her and in its place was this warmth she had never known could exist. When the light emerged on the other side of Dawn it was no longer the gray or white it had once been but it was a different assortment of colors, beautiful colors that seemed to form a rainbow behind her. The last thing anyone remembered seeing before the light intensified and they all passed out was the beautiful array of colors emitting from Dawn as the pure magic energy passed through her. _

-------------------**3 Hours Later**--------------------

Melinda gasped as her body rose from the floor; the air seemed to be like flames as she sucked in as much as she could. Her lungs and throat burned as she coughed. Melinda rolled over and pulled her legs up to her chest, it hurt, and everything just seemed to hurt. Melinda tried, she truly did try to open her eyes but they seemed to be welded shut and for now Melinda would let them stay closed, and let herself dream. Even if those dreams were sooner or later going to become a reality for her or someone else.

----------------------------

**The room was light dimly. There were shadows producing behind the objects inside the room. As Melinda turned toward the right she saw the light from a window seeping through the closed shades and blinds creating a dusk setting. There was also light from the bathroom seeping in from underneath the door and around its edges. Melinda closed her eyes and when she opened them she was standing in a hallway. Melinda looked up and down the hallway and watched as her own figure walked up the stairs. Melinda watched eagerly as her own form rushed up the stairs and ran right through her. Melinda gasped and turned around as fast as she possibly could and when she turned around she was once again back in the bedroom. Melinda watched as the door flew open and her form rushed inside it, and bent over as it held onto the doorknob trying to catch it's breath. **

**The sound of footsteps made both Melinda and her vision form look up toward the bathroom. Light from inside the bathroom flowed out from within the small room and lit the entire bedroom in brighter dim light then before. Melinda turned slowly to look at who was stepping from the bathroom and sighed when she saw Dawn walking out from the room. **

"**What's the matter?" Melinda heard her vision form ask, still using the doorknob to keep herself up. **

**Dawn didn't answer, she just walked over to the bed and sat down slowly and looked down at the floor. Melinda stepped away from the middle of the room and went toward the window, needing to be in a position where she could see this scene play out so both Dawn and herself were visible. **

"**Dawn….Dawn answer me!" Melinda's vision form demanded as she finally moved away from the door and walked over to the bed and kneeled down in front of Dawn. **

"**She's dead." Dawn whispered, the gleam of light from the bathroom shinning against her tears as they fell. **

"**I know." Melinda's vision form whispered back. "I'm sorry."**

**Melinda watched as her other form lifted her hand up to Dawn's cheeks and wiped at the tears that were sliding down her porcelain skin. Melinda wasn't sure who was dead but she knew this vision meant a great deal if she was actually able to watch it outside of her own body. Usually when she was involved in the vision she'd have to watch out from the eyes of her vision form. To be outside of her vision form meant she was supposed to see it differently. **

"**Why didn't you tell me?" Dawn asked as she finally looked up to meet Melinda's vision form's eyes. **

"**I…."**

"**Why didn't you tell me? Why couldn't you tell me?!" Dawn asked as she raised her arms up and started to hit Melinda's vision form shoulders. "Why did you let her die!?" Dawn demanded to know as she continued to slam her closed fists against Melinda's shoulder. **

**Melinda wanted to ask whom! Who it was she let die but she couldn't. She was forced to only watch the scene unfold and confined to her own hell of having no power, in this moment, to change the vision. Melinda watched as Dawn continued to hit her, and she did nothing to stop her. When Dawn finally stopped she fell off the bed and right into her arms and Melinda watched as her vision form wrapped her arms around Dawn and held her as the brunette cried. **

"**If I had known I would have Dawn. I would never wish this pain on you and Buffy. I'm so sorry I didn't know. I didn't see it. I'm so sorry." Melinda heard herself whisper into Dawn's ear as the other 17 year old continued to cry. **

"**I just miss her so much. It's so hard to do everything now that she's gone. I feel so lost." Dawn sobbed into Melinda's shoulder. **

"**I know Dawn. I know how it feels to lose a mother. Its sucks in ways you can't even begin to imagine unless you've gone through it. But life can't stop because she's gone. You can't stop because she's gone. She loved you and you loved her and even though she isn't here anymore her love still is. No matter what it's always going to be with you!"**

"_Oh god…" Melinda thought as the scene in front of her changed. _

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**The air was thick. The air smelled of dust and it held a stale taste as you breathed it in. The walls were an orange red color and looked to be stone. As the air started to shift and sound reached Melinda's ears she felt like getting sick. The over whelming smell of blood and death clung to the air as if it were its life savor. Melinda turned one way then turned to the other. The only thing she could see was women; the young, the old and the in-between. They were all fighting demons, but from the looks of these demons they were vampires. The women, were not slayers, though they fought with the fierceness of a slayer and held the same energy as Faith and Buffy. Yet they still weren't slayers but here they were fighting to the death against the demons and vampires only slayers should have to deal with. As Melinda turned one way to the other she was slowly concluding these women were potential slayers. That had to be who they were, why else would she see the energy of a slayer trapped within them? **

**Who ever they happened to be, it didn't change the fact that they were all fighting their hearts out but the numbers of these vampires were too great. Melinda turned franticly around her eyes shifting from girl, to teen to woman all fighting and all being over run. Melinda was searching the groups, looking for someone, looking for a few some ones. Then as she finally turned all the way to her right she saw one of those some ones. Buffy was standing in the defensive with a golden red swordish ax type weapon and when she swung the oddity of a weapon, dozens of the vamps went flying back over the cliff's edge, yet they still kept coming. **

**Melinda turned away, unable to watch as several of the vampires ran Buffy through with their weapons. Melinda caught a brown blur speeding past any vamp or potential in its way and cut the heads of every vamp surrounding Buffy off with only a few full strokes. **

"**Faith…" Melinda heard herself whisper. She watched as Faith grabbed onto Buffy around the waist and held the blondes hand to her chest. **

**Melinda was watching what she could only imagine as the last conversation Buffy and Faith were going to have. As she turned her head around once more she continued to watch potentials fall and demons rise and run to the surface. Melinda found herself standing in what looked to be a regular school, one that was just under construction and as she slowly walked down the hallways vampires rushed past her and threw her as if she weren't even there. Then again, she wasn't really there anyway. Melinda stopped walking when she reached one room, there was no ceiling above it and the sunlight protected all that stood inside from the vampires that rampaged through areas that they could. **

"**Max…" Melinda whispered as she saw her watcher holding onto a young woman. **

**Melinda knew this woman, and as she took a step closer she saw the blood slowly seeping out from beneath her hand where she tried in vain to cover the gash. Melinda's eyes traveled back up the woman's body until she met her face. Melinda ran her eyes over the woman's features trying to understand where she had seen her before, who she was and why the fact that she was going to die bothered her more then she'd like to admit. Melinda knew there were others in the room, but she knew those faces, she could pick out most of those faces, it was the scoobies, Buffy's friends and allies. Now all Melinda needed to know was who the woman was, so she looked up to meet her eyes. When their eyes met Melinda was almost shocked out of her transparent body. **

"**Melinda….." **

**Melinda gasped and took a step back from the room; the woman could see her. As Melinda watched the woman's lips move again, she heard no sound but knew her to be calling her name once again. Melinda watched as the brunette raised her hand out to her and said her name once again but as she watched the sight of the people within the room slowly dissipated. The scene started to fuzz out of context and she could no longer make out any one face or real object. There was just color, such wonderfully bright and brilliant colors. It looked just like a…. dawning day. **

"**Dawn…." Melinda whispered.**

---------------------------------

_"Dawn holds the key." A voice whispered through the wind._

_Melinda looked around but all she saw ahead of her was a bright blazing sun slowly raising above the mountaintops and creating a beautiful glow about her. _

"_How can it hold the key?" Melinda asked as she spun around but found the same sunrise, the same dawn scene in any which way she turned. _

"_Dawn holds the key." _

"_Dawn…..how can dawn hold the key?" Melinda asked again. Unwilling to admit that Dawn, the young woman she saved this afternoon held the key. _

"_She holds the key within herself." The voice answered. _

"_Dawn….she's the key?" Melinda asked continuing to spin around as she asked the question wondering where this voice was coming from and whom it belonged to. _

"_Dawn holds the key. To all life and death the key must be held within your hands." _

"_In my hands."_ Melinda whispered and as she closed her eyes and opened them once again.

Melinda opened her eyes to see Faith and Dawn sitting over her and as she looked down she realized all that was covering her chest was a torn shirt. Melinda groaned and looked up into Faith's eyes. "Did we win?"

TBC…….


	14. Part 11

A/N: Okay last chapter didn't go over well I guess. Hope this one does.

**Part 11**

-------------**1 hour ago**----------------

Faith continued to jostle Melinda back and forth, on occasion holding the seventeen-year-old down so she couldn't go floating into the air again. Faith looked up at Max and shook her head. Melinda had been having vision on top of vision for the past three hours. Hell it could have been more but it was only three hours ago that Faith had been able to get up and check on the blonde. The group was still energized and Xander and Anya had left after Anya had made a few lame excuses to go home and burn off the pure energy she and Xander had by having sex. Faith had laughed and watched Anya and Xander rush out of the house.

Now it was two hours later and still Melinda wasn't awake. Faith was starting to lose hope and wondered how many more visions Melinda's used and exhausted body could take. Faith leaned back and tried to catch her breath, her heart hadn't stopped racing since she woke up.

"What are we supposed to do?" Dawn asked as she sat on an armchair her eyes looking around the room hoping someone held answers.

"I don't know." Faith said as she put her head in her hands. "Last time she woke up five hours after the imploding."

"So why worry now?" Willow asked, her arms crossed. Willow wasn't a Faith fan and she was starting to dislike this Melinda woman. No matter how powerful she was, or how nice she seemed Willow just couldn't seem to like her. For two simple reasons, because Melinda liked Faith and she was jealous of the girl's power.

"We have to worry because her body can't take much more of this." Faith snapped as she looked up at Willow.

"Why not, isn't she supposed to be all powerful?" Willow asked, as she remained sitting.

"You know Red, I never imagined you for the uncaring type." Faith spat as she looked at Willow and watched as Melinda's eyes shot open once again and there was only a white glow. "Max….we're on number twenty here….anything yet!?" Faith called out toward the dinning room where Max was going through any books that mentioned anything about **The Oracle**. Hoping that they might have an instruction manual to turn off the visions before they killed her.

"You really care about her." Buffy said. It wasn't a question it was a statement.

Faith looked up at Buffy and for the first time Buffy saw how worried Faith really was. Faith didn't hold a mask up to control or block her feelings from anyone. They were plainly written across her face. Buffy didn't have to go digging for answers, because the answers she wanted were right in front of her. Buffy wasn't the only one that saw this, Dawn and Willow looked at Faith, their jaws about to fall off. In the past three hours they'd seen Faith pace, seen her break down into hysterics, cry, get angry (which wasn't knew for any of them) and they'd watched her take gentle loving care of Melinda.

"Yeah, I do." Faith answered full heartedly as she looked at Buffy.

Willow snorted and Tara turned to her girlfriend ashamed of the way Willow was acting. Willow looked at Tara and then looked down, she was acting like a spoiled child and she knew it. Here she was sitting in Faith's home and was watching as Melinda went through her own version of hell, and acting like a bitch. Willow knew she had every right to be mad at Faith, to never trust her again but she had no real reason to hate Melinda or to wish her harm, yet she was doing it anyway.

"She's all I have. Her and Max are my family." Faith whispered as she looked over at Melinda and moved back over to the blonde.

Giles sighed and cleaned his glasses for the fifth time and stepped away from the living room doorway. He had watched the scene in the living room with growing concern. Max and Faith had insisted that Max could look up whatever it was that he was looking for by himself. Giles had understood after they refused Dawn's and Buffy's help that whatever he was reading would give away information they couldn't give away.

"Buffy….." Giles said softly as he stepped into the living room. "….can I speak with you outside?"

Buffy looked at Dawn and then stood up from the arm of the armchair she had been sharing with Dawn. Dawn gave Buffy a small smile and then turned back to look at Melinda a frown gracing her face again.

Tara stood up as well and when Willow tried to grab her hand she pulled her hand out from the redhead's grip. Willow looked at Tara hurt and pulled her hand back and looked down at the ground. Tara sighed and stepped out of the living room and walked into the dinning room. Tara walked over to stand in front of Max and waited for Max to look up at her.

"I know that you've refused help before but its now getting serious. Please, let me help." Tara said as she looked at Max.

"I'm afraid I can't." Max stated as he looked up at the young witch.

"Why not? If it'll help why can't you let me help?" Tara asked agitated that Max was refusing the help he really needed.

"Its not my place….what you'll find out…I…"

Tara rolled her eyes and took a seat next to Max at the dinning table. "What is it you think I don't know? Hum…who Melinda really is? What she really is?" Tara asked her arms crossed over her chest. Daring Max to say something.

------------------------------

"What is it Giles?" Buffy asked as she stepped onto the front porch after closing the door.

"Max and Faith are keeping something from us. Something that has to do with Melinda." Giles stated as he turned to face his slayer.

"I knew they were hiding something from us Giles. So did you, why the big importance now? Right now we need to try and help Melinda. The girl saved Dawn….without knowing…" Buffy sighed. "Without knowing the big secret about her and now she's paying for it. Giles that girl in there stopped Glory…even for just the few minutes she did. She stopped her, to the point where Glory was freaking out. I can barely scare her and now Melinda has. She has power Giles, power we're going to need on our side when we go up against Glory. If we go up against her."

"I know that." Giles said as he took his glasses off and started to clean them again.

"You're getting obsessed with that." Buffy said.

"With what?" Giles asked as he put his glasses back on.

"Cleaning you're glasses." Buffy stated simply.

Giles opened his mouth to argue but decided it was better not to argue about that. "That's beside the point. The point in which I'm trying to make is there is something major about Melinda that Max and Faith don't want us to know."

"How major?" Buffy asked.

"I have a contact within the coven and she's already informed me that Melinda is NOT a member of their coven. But she was reluctant to tell me anything other then that." Giles stated.

"So they lied?" Buffy asked.

"It seems they lied about what Melinda is." Giles stated.

"What do you think she is?" Buffy asked.

"We think she's an Oracle." Willow stated as she came out onto the porch.

"We?" Buffy asked as she looked at Willow and Giles. "And a what?"

"Tara brought up the subject when we were trying to break the barrier she had put up around you." Willow stated as she looked at Buffy. "I think she's right. I think Melinda's an Oracle."

"What's so special about being an Oracle?" Buffy asked as she looked between Giles and Willow.

-----------------------------------

"Melinda's no ordinary witch and I'm almost positive I know what kind of witch she truly is. My grandmother and mother used to tell me stories about special witches. Witches that were so much more powerful then ordinary witches. They never needed to chant or call upon Gods or Goddess' to help them do their bidding. They held all the powers of a God or Goddess within themselves. Those few witches that were born to every generation were called….."

"Oracles." Faith stated as she looked over at Tara.

TBC….


	15. Part 12

_AscaDuin, Drakiri, CrazyC87, Alex Mort, Cocki, Gabby5, Mik-mik 06128, maxmydarkangel, Shu' Hara, partygrl06128, Darklight, mythic-lonheart, Tara101, DesireeStorm, red lighting, and GirlB, thank you for the reviews. Every review means a lot to a writer and I just wanted to take the time to thank those who have taken the time to read and review to my small imaginitive story._

**The Oracle**

**Part 12**

"Melinda's no ordinary witch and I'm almost positive I know what kind of witch she truly is. My grandmother and mother used to tell me stories about special witches. Witches that were so much more powerful then ordinary witches. They never need to chant or call upon Gods or Goddess' to help them do their bidding. They held all the powers of a God or Goddess within themselves. Those few witches that were born to every generation were called….."

"Oracles." Faith stated as she looked over at Tara.

"Faith what are you doing?" Max asked as he stood up abruptly.

"Dawn's inside watching after Melinda." Faith stated with a smile as she turned to Max. "She's awake."

"She's awake?" Both Tara and Max asked both smiling.

"She's awake. She told me to come in here and ask Max to come inside." Faith stated as she turned her eyes to look at Max. "I wouldn't keep her waiting if I were you." Faith said with a cocky grin.

"Mind out of the gutter!" Dawn said from within the living room. "Sorry….she told me to say that."

Faith grinned and turned toward the living room and saw Dawn helping Melinda stand up. Faith had almost jumped for joy when Melinda's eyes opened and the first thing the blonde did after waking up was asking if they won. Faith had hugged Melinda so tight Melinda had actually had to use her powers to push her away. Dawn had been so excited that she had actually started to jump up and down but soon calmed down and kneeled down next to Melinda to help her stand. Melinda had asked Dawn for help and told Faith to leave the room and go finish Tara's sentence. Faith might have questioned Melinda's meaning a few weeks ago but now she had just listened and done as she was told.

"Why is it that she wants us to inform people that don't trust us our only leverage?" Max asked as he walked out of the room, having long ago learned not to fight with Faith and Melinda. Though they always argued, when it came to something Melinda has seen they drew the line, most of the time.

Tara watched Max leave the room and when he started to close the doors to the living room she turned back to Faith. Though Tara didn't know Faith well, she knew she was changed. She wasn't the same woman she had been when she betrayed the gang. The thought of her having betrayed anyone seemed strange to Tara. The aura Faith gave off now gave off no room for interoperation on how trustful she truly was. Tara heard horror stories about Faith from everyone but she also heard funny stories about the brunette as well. Too bad the horror out weighed the funny by about ninety percent.

Faith turned her back to Tara and slowly closed the sliding doors, and flipped the lock to give them a little privacy as they talked.

"So….Melinda's an oracle!" Faith stated as she looked at Tara and walked over and past the blonde to sit down.

"I was ri..right?" Tara asked as she turned to face Faith.

"Yeah, you were right Tara." Faith said.

Faith still had some trouble giving Tara a nickname. Blondie was really out because there were just too many blondes in this group, counting Melinda and Faith knew well not to pick on a person for being blonde. Or at least she did now, thanks to Melinda. Also, any kind of jibe about Tara being a witch was out also, thanks to Melinda. So…really there were shortcoming for Tara's nickname, for now.

"Now…I have a question for you." Faith asked as she leaned forward in her chair, her elbows leaning on her knees and her head in her hands as she looked over at the blonde witch.

"What's that?" Tara asked as she pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Faith.

"Did you tell Red about your suspicions?"

-------------------------------------

Dawn sat beside Melinda trying to get the other teen to look at her. It was slowly starting to worry her that Melinda was just staring ahead of her into space, seemingly deep in thought. Dawn was doing everything she could think of, snapping and clapping in front of Melinda's face, as well as poking her shoulder and even blowing into her ear. The one thing she hadn't tried was actually asking if Melinda was all right, because really that answered seemed to be quiet obvious.

"Melinda…" Max said as he came into the room and saw his charge sitting on the couch staring into space. Max stepped closer and stopped moving when Melinda's head slowly turned toward him. It still could creep him out, the way she moves so slowly and the way her eyes could look through him, as if he weren't even there. "Are you alright?" Max asked as he looked at the blonde.

"Yes." Melinda answered softly and turned her head back to where it had been before she looked at Max. "Don't worry about Tara and Faith. I'd be more worried about what Buffy, Mr. Giles and Willow are all talking about outside."

"What?" Max and Dawn asked as they looked at the calm and collected young woman.

"Tara….she won't use the information to hurt us. The others will." Melinda said her voice deep and crisp as she spoke, as if it were about to crack any moment.

Dawn looked at Melinda and then looked up at Max with scrutinizing eyes. "What information?" Dawn asked not one to like being left out of things.

"That I'm special." Melinda said as she turned to look at Dawn.

Melinda looked at the teenager closely and wondered how on earth power that could match her own was within her. Not that Melinda was one to talk but she had to deal with this her whole life, and from what she was told by Mr. Giles Dawn only had to deal with this recently. Dawn was the key that was going to open every single portal to any dimension and she had to make sure that didn't happen. Everything just became a whole lot more interesting, because in all her wildest dreams Melinda hadn't thought the key would be a person.

Melinda looked deep into Dawn's eyes, wondering if she could see something from within them. All she received was Dawn's thoughts.

'_Why is she looking at me like that? And what does she mean she's special. I'm special too but you don't see me bragging about it.'_

Melinda smiled lightly and then frowned as she looked down at her hands. Melinda didn't understand anything. Faith believed she knew everything but knowing almost everything and understanding them were two completely different things. Two things that Faith, Max, and the Council seemed to think were linked. The thing was they weren't, and it became a pain to have them all looking at her for answers that she didn't hold. Melinda sighed as she looked at her hands, wondering what were so special about them. Why they held all life and death in them. With one last sigh Melinda looked up at Dawn and decided to change the subject.

"Dawn…?"

"Yes?" Dawn asked still wondering how this woman was so special. She got the whole being a witch and being able to implode and float and kick Glory's ass, oh well listing all those things Dawn realized that Melinda is special.

"How has you're mother been feeling recently?"

--------------------------------------

Giles sighed as he looked over at Buffy. He knew that explaining things about what being an Oracle meant was going to confuse the poor woman. It still confused him, how they could hold such power within them but seem so normal, be so normal.

"You're telling me that she's kinda like me. Being a slayer, being called?" Buffy asked as she looked up at Giles and then moved her eyes to Willow.

"Yes."

"Except she's planned to be an oracle before she's even born. Being as the Powers kinda get the witch pregnant with her. So I mean….does she really have a father?" Buffy asked.

Giles opened his mouth to answer but then he closed it realizing he hadn't thought about that before. If the Powers were the ones to impregnate the witch then did any Oracle actually have a father? Giles looked up at Willow and saw that the red headed witch seemed to be thinking along the same lines as he was. Giles turned back to Buffy and answered truthfully.

"I don't know. You would think that the Powers were the father because they are the ones to impregnate the witch and not any human male." Giles stated as he looked at Buffy and watched her nod, still thinking about his answer.

Buffy sighed, she knew nothing about Melinda and she knew only what had happened while Faith was in Sunny Dale about Faith's life. In short they all knew nothing about the two new fighters brought into the equation, except they knew they needed them both. Knew that Melinda was their key weapon against Glory, and needed her on their side. That meant they had to tough it out with Faith. Buffy could definitely handle that! She had long ago forgiven Faith, but just hadn't said it to the other slayer or her friends.

"I don't care if she's an Oracle. You just said that she was good, and if you didn't realize it she saved Dawn, and she's changed Faith. I think that we can trust her."

"Does that mean you don't want us to look into why the Council would send her now?" Giles asked as he looked at Buffy.

"No….I want that area covered, because the last thing we need is the Council holding something over our heads right now." Buffy said as she looked at Giles. "Now if there's nothing else I think we should go offer our help to Max one last time, now all knowing what it is they're hiding."

"You want to trust them? Trust Faith?" Willow asked shocked at what she was hearing. "The same Faith that tried to kill us!?"

"That's just it Will." Buffy stated as she turned to her best friend. "She's not the same Faith that tried to kill us all. She's grown up. I'm not asking you to forgive her, hell I won't even ask you to trust Faith, but I am asking that you have faith in me. If Faith isn't any different from before, trust me to handle it." Buffy stated as she looked at Willow hoping to end this conversation now so she could get back into the house and see if there was something she could do to help.

When the three walked back into the house and walked toward the living room the first thing they noticed was across the hall the dinning room doors were closed. The first thing they saw when they looked into the living room was Max standing in front of the couch. What caught there eyes were who was sitting on the couch. Melinda was sitting up on the couch looking at Dawn and talking with her. The only difference was Melinda was still pale and her voice was raspy, something they could all expect after what she went through. The next thing Willow realized was Faith and Tara weren't in the living room.

"Dawn…" Willow said slowly as she looked over at the younger brunette.

"Yeah?" Dawn answered, as she turned away from Melinda for a moment, still unsure as to what the blonde was getting at about her mother.

"Where's Tara?" Willow asked slowly realizing she was starting to panic. Which wasn't new to her but this panic was a new level of panic because it had to do with Tara and Faith being alone together. Willow just hoped that the answer Dawn gave her didn't confirm her fears.

"I don't know." Dawn answered truthfully as she looked over at Willow with a look that told her sister's best friend she had no idea.

"Tara is in the dinning room with Faith." Max stated as he turned around to face Willow and the new arrived arrival of the Scooby gang.

Willow spun on her heels and rushed toward the dinning room doors. If Buffy could trust Faith that was Buffy's problem and most likely death wish, right now she didn't trust Faith farther then she could throw…and that wasn't far. Willow tried to open the doors to the dinning room and found they were locked. That only fueled her panic and she started to viciously pull at the doors as if, if she kept it up they would open for her. Right as Willow was about to reach the screaming phase the doors slid open to reveal Faith standing there with an annoyed grin.

"Do you mind?" Faith asked as she stared at Willow. "We're trying to talk in here. Banging on the door is rather dis…" Faith didn't get to finish her sentence.

Willow put her hands against Faith's shoulders and just as her hands touched Faith's shoulders a burst of energy came from her hands and would have sent Faith flying through the air and into the nearest fall, but that would have happened if Melinda hadn't been there. Melinda stood behind Willow her hand outstretched, which held Faith in place even as Willow's burst of energy continued to push against Faith's shoulders. Faith meanwhile felt as it she were between two brick walls and they were moving in on her.

"Stop!" Tara yelled as she looked at Willow and saw Melinda behind her using whatever energry she had left to keep Faith from flying through the air.

Melinda's arm slowly started to fall and her eyes started to roll to the back of her head but just as she was sure she'd pass out Willow stopped and Melinda no longer had to hold Faith where she was. Melinda fell to her knees, panting. She had no energy left to deal with this; even if her power was slowly starting to build again her energy was spent. After all she was only human, if only partially.

"You're alright…" Willow said almost disbelievingly as Tara walked up to her.

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Tara asked as she looked at Willow wanting her to say it out loud, needing to hear Willow say because of Faith, just so she could point it out to her girlfriend later.

"I…." Willow looked at Faith and watched as she pushed right past her and went to Melinda's side and picked the blonde up in her arms and held her for a moment.

This wasn't the same Faith she had known. The Faith she had known two years ago would have just left Melinda there. A part of her wanted to continue to hold on to the hate she held for Faith, but the bigger part knew better then to do so and that side was slowly winning. Especially because this side had Tara's help, Willow sighed it was a losing battle and she knew it. But even if she wouldn't hate Faith she wouldn't trust her, not yet anyway.

"I'm sorry." Willow said, as she looked down, ashamed of the way she had been acting. "I'm sorry Faith." Willow whispered.

"I am too Willow." Faith said as she looked at the witch. "About everything." It wasn't much but it was an apology and it was sincere and that was what mattered.

The fact that Faith had used Willow's name wasn't lost on anyone, mostly Willow. The moment might have lasted longer if it hadn't been for Melinda. Melinda, someone who had wanted the moment to last as long as possible, really felt like she was going to pass out if she didn't eat something.

"Sorry to interrupt but Faith…since you're kind of holding me and making it impossible for me to do this on my own…could you possibly bring me to the kitchen. I need to eat something before I pass out."

"If you pass out does that mean you'll implode again?" Dawn asked already moving toward the kitchen. As much as she liked having this energy she really didn't think it would be a good thing if Melinda imploded again. Seemed kinda dangerous.

"I hope not." Melinda answered with a small smile as she watched Dawn rush into the kitchen, not even hearing her answer. "Follow that blur of brown." Melinda instructed Faith as she pointed toward the kitchen, her head resting peacefully on Faith's shoulder.

Everyone laughed lightly and they all slowly followed Dawn into the kitchen to get something to eat, because they all seemed to be hungry. Seemed all the extra energy was running low and their bodies needed food. Good thing Max had bought more food then he usually did. Soon after they all entered the kitchen Max's outburst could be heard from outside the door.

"Oh bloody hell, Faith don't throw your food!"

TBC.…


	16. Part 13

**Part 13**

--------**3 Days Later**--------

School had just ended and as a favor to Buffy Melinda and Max had gone to pick Dawn up from school and bring her home. Mrs. Summers would usually do it but she was at the doctors getting another MRI. Seemed Melinda's poking at Dawn for her mother's health had pushed Dawn to poke her mother about getting her recent headaches evaluated. Buffy and Joyce hadn't told anyone yet but it appeared that Joyce had a brain tumor that needed to be taken care of as soon as possible. They were going to tell Dawn tonight and the rest of the gang in the morning. Or that was the plan. For now Dawn was sitting in Melinda's room, pigging out as Melinda helped her with her homework. The two had become close, both bonding quickly after everything that had transpired within just the last few days.

The more time Melinda spent with Dawn the more she realized her power and control was growing. Melinda hadn't wanted to think about what that meant but last night had showed her just how powerful she was becoming. A giant snake, the Spawn of Sobek, had come after Dawn and had gone back to report to Glory. Melinda and Faith had been walking Dawn home after Dawn had spent the day with Melinda, shopping, gossiping and doing teenage girl things, when the damn thing came after them. Faith had taken off after the serpent. Melinda had grabbed a hold of Dawn and had done something she'd only practiced a few times before, she teleported Dawn and her to Buffy.

Once they arrived Buffy had jumped so high Melinda had wanted to laugh, Dawn had, but she knew there were more pressing matters to be taken care of. Once Joyce and Giles walked into the room Melinda grabbed Buffy's arm and had transported them to Faith who was about to get her head eaten off her neck. The two slayers had fought the snake and when they finished had both walked off, leaving Melinda cringing at all the slimy green ooze coming from the corpse. Melinda had then smiled and waved her hand and the large karakas disappeared. Melinda turned toward the old mansion that Glory must be living in and she could almost hear the Hell Goddess' scream when the karakas of its pet materialized right in front of her.

Melinda had been talking with Giles and Max more frequently about perhaps asking Tara and Willow to train with her. She knew they wouldn't be able to do the telekinesis she did but she knew that sooner or later they'd need the two witches help. They had finally agreed after she had almost been ready to beg them, instead she just threatened to play Faith's music all night and day long around them. They hadn't believed she would do it but the moment she blinked the radio turned on to Faith's favorite rock station and the two men caved almost instantly. Melinda had smiled and kissed both men's cheeks before rushing off to tell Tara and Willow. It seemed, that mostly everything was going well for now. Glory was at least giving them a few days off, Joyce was being taken care of by the doctors and everyone was starting to get along with each other. Or they were starting to get along with Faith once again, and she was now just a part of the Scoobies, like she had always wanted to be.

For now the only things that the gang was worried about what normal every day events. One specific event that was going to lighten any bad mood they happened to be in. Tara's 21st birthday was this weekend and they were having a party at the Bronze for the blonde witch. It was going to be a blast, but for now Melinda and Dawn were just sitting around waiting for the week to end and the weekend to begin.

"Do you girls need anything?" Max asked as he walked into the living room where Melinda and Dawn were sitting on the couch, popcorn between them as they both gripped a pillow at something scary that was happening on the screen.

"No, but thanks." Melinda said, her eyes still on the T.V.

"Yeah, thanks but no." Dawn mimicked as she clutched her pillow tighter and closed her eyes as a scream filled the room.

Max smiled and shook his head. He hadn't ever seen Melinda have a real friend, besides Faith and it was nice to see her being close with someone else besides him and Faith. Every teenage girl deserved to have at least a few good friends to hang out with. Even if Max knew Melinda wasn't normal it was still nice to see she could have things everyone else had all their lives, friends. Max walked up the stairs, leaving the two teenagers to their conversations, movies and whatever else it was they did while he wasn't in the room.

"So….now what?" Melinda asked as she finished flipping through the channels finding nothing Dawn or her liked.

"We could talk…." Dawn said as she put her pillow against the arm of the couch and then moved so she was lying down comfortably on the couch, her legs across Melinda's.

"About what….? I think we've covered every topic that has ever been brought up." Melinda said honestly as she leaned her head back on the couch and closed her eyes.

"Well you could finally start to tell me about you." Dawn stated as she turned so she was lying on her back instead of her side, and could somewhat look at Melinda.

"I never met them." Melinda said honestly. "So there's not much to tell. Faith and Max are the only family I really have known beside Melissa."

"Why?" Dawn asked curiously as she looked over at Melinda eagerly awaiting the reply the blonde would give her. "Isn't Melissa the woman that kidnapped you?" Dawn asked, recognizing the small part of Melinda's background from a conversation she over heard Giles and her mother having.

"Yes, how did you…" Melinda stopped asking and just nodded her head, already knowing how Dawn knew that about her. "….well Giles left out the part where she Melissa was a drunk, and for a while we had to live in our car. I never really thought about it then, you know? Cause she was doing her best, or so I thought. I had no idea why we had to live in cars, on the street for a while and then finally apartments and then the house we had here in Sunnydale. I thought she was my family, that she cared about me." Melinda whispered as a tear fell and she wiped it away just as fast as it had come.

Dawn opened her mouth to say something but there was really little to say and she knew it. Dawn sighed and sat up, swinging her legs off of Melinda's legs. She moved over and wrapped her arm around Melinda's shoulder. She really had no words to give Melinda any comfort because she couldn't change the past, but she had her arms and a sholder to cry on if Melinda needed it.

"I loved her you know? She was my mother, in my eyes. I mean….we didn't have it great, running all the time but she was good to me and then we slowly started to make it again. One night I came home and she had been drinking, it was the first time in at least a half a year and she was out cold muttering in her sleep and dreaming. Once I walked into the room I could actually see what she was dreaming. It was new for me to be seeing someone else's dreams but what I saw….I knew it was real because I had dreamed about it before. The exact same horrifying dream of a child being taken from her mothers arms the night she's born and the mother being told the child's dead. I had that dream for as long as I could remember, so I knew it wasn't a prophetic dream, but that day I found out it was me. I was the child taken from her mother. So I ran." Melinda stated as she leaned her head down on Dawn's shoulder.

"Where did you go?" Dawn asked her voice just a soft whisper.

"I ran to Angel. I hadn't met him but I knew of him and I knew he would help me. He did, he sent me to New York and I staid there hidden for a while until Max finally found me and there was no use in running because I really couldn't keep taking the money Angel was giving me and I thought if Max could help me train my powers, control them then it'd be worth helping out some old stuffy men." Melinda said laughter in her tone. "Max and I didn't take well to each other though."

"Really? You two seem so close now." Dawn stated as she turned her head to an angle that allowed her to see Melinda's smiling face, her tears slowly stopping.

"Well, yes, now we're close. But we weren't before. Actually I think we had been to the point of killing each other when another watcher showed up to spend the week with us, see how Max was training me and how things were going. I played nice for the other watcher and when the woman was going to leave she gave Max a folder. I hadn't known what it was at the time but that night Max wouldn't take any bait I left hanging for him to grab for us to argue. He told me that night before I went to bed that the folder had all my information in it and asked if I'd like to know about my real family." Melinda explained as she looked down. "When he told me my mother had already past on and my father was a witch hater I told him to stop. I asked him to burn it, but the stubborn bastard still has it. He knows that I'll want to find them someday and he's left me my clue. I know where he hides it so I could go and see at anytime about them but I don't want to. I'd rather they believe I died 17 years ago then have them find out about me being alive and being something they hate."

"Melinda I'm sure they wouldn't hate you!" Dawn said firmly. "How could they possibly hate someone like you?"

"They can because I'm a witch. I'm not even classified as a normal witch. I'm an Oracle…I'm not fully human. How could they not hate me when they hated my mother for being a witch?" Melinda asked as she looked at Dawn, her eyes showing her true turmoil over this. "Besides, the man that married my mother isn't my father. I don't have a father."

"How could you not have a…."

"An Oracle is made by the Powers. The Powers impregnate the strongest witch in her generation. I don't have a biological father, and if you wanted to go to specifics about it Dawn, my father is The Powers."

"Wow…."

"Yeah….I know." Melinda said nodding her head as she leaned forward, her elbows up against her knees as she held up her head with her hands.

"Well even if he's not your father, do you have any siblings? I mean I'm sure they can't think the same as him about witches because they're part witch as well." Dawn said trying to find out as much as she could.

"I have two siblings." Melinda answered as she sighed and looked down at the socks covering her feet.

"Older, younger, sister, brothers?" Dawn asked.

"Older, both of them older. A brother and sister." Melinda answered evenly. "You don't understand Dawn. Its not as simple as just meeting them and seeing what they think. I can't meet them yet. I'm not ready to. Emotionally, physically and overall just I'm not ready yet. But when I am I swear you'll be the first to know….well one of the firsts to know." Melinda said as she turned her head and gave Dawn a small reassuring smile.

Dawn nodded her head. She could accept that, and by the look in Melinda's eyes she wasn't going to be talking about this anymore. Dawn sighed and thought about what a safe subject might be and that's when one question she'd been dying to ask Melinda popped back into her head. She'd been wondering about this answer for the past five days.

"So why is it you don't have to go to school?" Dawn asked curiously, sitting with her legs crossed pretzel style as she looked at Melinda.

Melinda laughed and shook her head. "I've already graduated High school and am on leave from New York University." Melinda explained as she looked at Dawn.

Dawn's mouth fell open. "Are you serious!?"

"Would I lie to you?!" Melinda asked as her smiled grew just as wide as Dawn's eyes seemed to be dilating.

TBC……


	17. Part 14

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Hope you enjoy this next chapter. To just keep you updated I'm still unsure of which couple is going to be the main stars in this story. I beleive I've come to a disicion to make Buffy and Melinda fight for who they want, just not sure if they're both going to be going for Faith.

Anyhow...heres the next chapter. Read and hope you enjoy.

**Part 14**

------------------------------------

Faith sighed as she sat down on a head stone. It was a slow night. Melinda had offered to come to keep her company but Faith had told her to stay home. Joyce's surgery was this afternoon and they were still waiting word on the outcome with Faith had left to go on patrol. Buffy would be at the hospital so someone had to patrol tonight, and if patrol meant keeping her mind off of the surgery and what could happen then Faith was happy to do it. That was really why she asked Melinda to stay at the house, so she could clear her head while beating the shit out of some vampires around town.

"Well, well well if it isn't the other slayer." Spike spoke up from behind Faith.

Faith smirked and turned her head slowly to see Spike standing to the right of her headstone with a bag of groceries. Spike had been around for some of the Scooby meetings and it seemed Spike and Melinda knew each other. Faith still wasn't sure how the bleach blonde vampire knew Melinda, but Melinda trusted Spike enough to continue to ask for him to come to the meetings and go on patrol with them. Faith couldn't complain, after all she kind of liked the vampire, well as much as she possible could like a vampire that is.

"I thought you were at the hospital." Faith said as he looked at Spike.

"I was, Buffy sent me home with the nidbit." Spike said as he signaled over his shoulder where Dawn was standing with her own bag of groceries.

"Hey Dawn." Faith greeted with a small smile as she hopped off her perch and walked over to the youngest Summers. "Here….let me take that." Faith said as she took the heavy load from the teenager.

"Thanks." Dawn whispered her eyes only meeting Faith's for a minute before she looked down at the dirt. "Can we please go home now?" Dawn asked as she looked over at Spike. He'd taken her shopping to help her clear her head but now all she wanted to do was go home and sleep in her mother's bed.

"Yeah, alright." Spike said nodding his head as he walked back over to Dawn and Faith.

"We can take my car." Faith said as she pulled out her keys and tossed them over to Dawn, who grabbed them and walked toward the car Faith, Melinda and Max all used.

"Melinda sent us." Spike said as they reached the car. "Wanted to make sure you were alright."

Faith looked up at Spike and smiled as she rolled her eyes. "Did she now?"

"Of course she did, she cares about you." Dawn stated as she looked over at Faith, her voice almost flat as she spoke.

Faith looked over at Dawn, and though the younger girls voice held no emotion Faith knew Dawn wanted to smack her upside the head for every thinking Melinda wouldn't care. Not that she did think that, it was just hard still, to realize someone was looking out for her like Melinda did.

"How'd you know where to find me?" Faith asked as she put the grocery bag in the car.

"She sent us here, knew ya'd be here." Spike answered as he closed the trunk and walked over to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for Dawn.

Once both girls were in the car Spike walked around to the driver side and leaned down to look into the car window.

"Aren't you coming?" Dawn asked from her seat.

"No, I'm going to head back to the hospital. Melinda thinks it's a good idea to have another fighter there." Spike saw both concerned faces and gave them each a charming smile. "Oh come now, she's just being careful. Wants Dawn with you Faith, and wants me to back Buffy up back at the hospital. So….take the runt home and wait for Melinda's call." Spike said as he hit the top of the car twice and stepped back.

Faith and Dawn shared a look before Faith rolled the window back up, started the car and drove off toward the Summers' home.

Spike grinned as he watched the car go. How Melinda knew all these things still freaked him out, but Drew had liked Melinda enough to spare her back when they met. Hell Drew had them follow her around for the longest time just to make sure that Melissa was taking good care of the squirt. Spike hadn't understood it until after Drew explained who and what Melinda was. Seemed Drew respected Melinda, even if she was on the good side, and in doing so Melinda had spared Drew an Spike when she and her watcher friend had raided a local vampire pub years after they first met.

Spike pulled out a cig and lit it before walking back toward the hospital. If Melinda wanted him there, there was a reason for it so he'd go. Cause in the end he knew if he did something for the Oracle, she'd do something for him in return, that might end up saving his skin again.

------------------------------

Melinda stood in Spike's crypt looking out the small window that over looked some trees and then the rest of the graveyard. Melinda had known if she asked Faith to go on patrol the brunette would say no. It wasn't like Faith didn't want her company it was just she needed to sort things out, and Melinda had understood that. In a way she was sorry she hadn't pushed harder to go with Faith but tonight she needed Faith to think she was home with Max and Max to think she was out on patrol with Faith. Tricking the two people she cared most about was below her, but she had no other choice. If she wanted tonight to go right she needed to be here, in Spike's crypt to take care of the minions that Glory sent after him.

Melinda looked down at her watch and sighed as she turned around and just sat on the stone coffin facing the main entrance. They'd be here any minute, which was fine by her because this gave her time to think about everything. Melinda didn't know how this was supposed to go down in general. She didn't know how to defeat Glory when the time came to it, and she wasn't sure who'd get hurt. All she knew was her dreams were telling her things that scared her. They were about death, destruction and devastation. In her dreams they failed and the world came to an end, eight times over. They'd lose this battle with Glory if Melinda couldn't find out what it all meant about her and the Key, about her and Dawn.

Dawn was someone she considered a close friend and came to care about greatly, but she didn't know what it all meant. How she was supposed to save her, Buffy and Faith all at the same time. She was only one person, how could she possibly save three people at the same time? Her dreams showed her how they each died. Who killed them and showed her how impossible it was for her to save all three of them. Her dreams, dreams that she used to consider allies were not her enemies. They showed no way out for her, no way to save those she cared about most. Her dreams showed her an ultimatum she wasn't ready to except. She could only save one of them, but which one to save?

The door to the crypt slammed open and seven or eight of Glory's minions walked into the crypt, each wielding their own weapon and ready for some kind of battle. They each looked around the crypt and their eyes stopped when they reached Melinda's figure. Melinda hopped off the coffin and moved to the middle of the room, the light from outside revealing who she was to the minions. Some of them cowered and took steps back, while others gasped and two snarled at her. Melinda just looked at each of them and shoved her hands into her jacket and waited.

"The Oracle." One minion stated as he looked at Melinda.

"Glorificious will be much pleased." A second minion said slowly.

"If we bring The Oracle to her." Another finished as he too stepped forward.

"No need to fight then." Melinda stated as she looked at the minions. "I already wish for you to take me to Glory."

"It is a trap!" A fourth minion spoke up.

"Why would the almighty Oracle wish to be taken to the splendorous Glorificious?" A fifth asked, trying to rationalize this.

"I wish to make a deal with her." Melinda said answering the questions that weren't even directed at her.

"Yes, and what deal is that?" The first minion asked again.

"I wish to offer myself up to her for the lives of my friends." Melinda stated as she looked into each minions eyes.

The minions smiled. This was too easy, but if the Oracle wished to die, then they'd be happy to offer her life up to their goddess.

------------**Six Hours Later**---------------

Faith rushed into the house smiling. The door slammed shut behind her and as she ran into the living room she saw Max standing rammered straight as he looked in every directions. Faith smiled and rushed over to the Brit and wrapped both her arms around his neck as she jumped into his arms. Max and Faith fell to the couch with Faith wrapped around Max and Max complaining into Faith's shoulder for the brunette to get off of him. When Faith finally got off of the older man she jumped up and down for a few more seconds, burning off all her extra energy and excitement.

"What in the bloody hell is this all about!?" Max asked.

"She's alright!" Faith yelled as she grabbed hold of Max's shoulders and shook him back and forth. "She's alright!"

"Who's alright?" Max asked the fog from his sleeping brain slowly starting to clear.

"Joyce…Mrs. S, she's alright! The surgery worked…she's ganna be okay!" Faith yelled, shook Max one last time and rushed toward the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Max asked as he watched Faith run toward the stairs, his smiling matching Faith's.

"To tell Melinda." Faith said and ran up the stairs.

"To tell Melinda?" Max asked confused. "She was with you."

Faith ran into Melinda's room, throwing the door open and ran toward Melinda's bed. Faith was about to jump into the bed when she felt a cold brush of air go right past her. Faith turned toward Melinda's window and saw that it was open, the curtains flying silently as the wind from outside pushed them further into the room. Faith turned toward the door and spun around looking for Melinda before she took to her feet once again, her heart racing. Faith stopped at the door, her arms catching her but sending her head and chest forward slightly, as her feet staid planted in Melinda's room.

"Melinda!" Faith screamed down the hallway.

When there was no answer Faith ran down the stairs and saw Max with his jacket on and in the weapons closet stuffing swords and an ax along with a crossbow into a duffle bag.

"Melinda's gone!" Faith exclaimed, out of breath, as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"I know." Max stated as he zipped up the bag, shut the closet door and stalked toward the door.

TBC…


	18. Part 14B

**Part 14B**

_"Melinda!" Faith screamed down the hallway. _

_When there was no answer Faith ran down the stairs and saw Max with his jacket on and in the weapons closet stuffing swords and an ax along with a crossbow into a duffle bag. _

_"Melinda's gone!" Faith exclaimed, out of breath, as she reached the bottom of the stairs. _

_"I know." Max stated as he zipped up the bag, shut the closet door and stalked toward the door._

"You know?" Faith asked and realized what Max was doing. "Where are we going?" Faith asked as she followed Max.

"To get her back."

"You know where she is?" Faith asked as she watched Max slam the trunk of the car shut and walk toward the driver's side.

"Keys…" Max ordered and Faith threw him the keys and he jumped into the car followed shortly after by Faith.

"Max! DO you know where she is!?" Faith asked as she put on her seatbelt.

"She's with Glory." Max stated as he peeled out of the driveway and down the block.

"How do you know?" Faith asked. She'd really never been one to ask about things when it meant killing things or going out for patrol, but this wasn't a regular patrol, or killing just anything. This was a rescue mission, to save Melinda. The girl she was supposed to look after and take care of. The one she failed once before and had sworn never to do so again.

"Because…she's not with you, or I, or those Scooby gang people. She lied to me about where she was going to be, and didn't tell you where she was going. That means she'd be doing something we'd never allow and that only leaves one place for her to be." Max stated as he made a sharp turn.

"With Glory. I got it, but why with Glory!?" Faith asked as she gripped the handle of the door and leaned into each turn Max made.

"Because, she's going to try to save you." Max said as he made another sharp turn.

Faith looked at Max as if he'd grown a second head. "What do you mean save me?" Faith asked, her hand gripping the handle of the car, so tight she was sure on the next turn it would snap.

"Melinda had a dream, has been having the same dream for days now. Where you, Dawn and Buffy all die at the same time, but in different places, every time she tries to stop it she can't. It always ends the same way. If she saves you then Buffy and Dawn die, if she saves Dawn you and Buffy die. She's been seeing this for days and she's terrified of it." Max said as he looked out at the road. "She'd do anything to save you Faith. Anything, even giving herself up to Glory to take your place. Are you so dense that you have no idea how much that girl loves you!?"

Faith looked at Max for a moment and then looked out the window, and watched, as the world became a blur as they sped down the streets of Sunnydale. Melinda was going to get herself killed so she could save her. Faith shook her head and wished she could hit something, or even knock some sense into Melinda. If Melinda was going to do this, then the younger woman had no idea how important she was, to the world and to Faith. How did Melinda even expect her to keep living if she died for her? How could Melinda even think she could live if she died.

"Because you have to." Faith whispered, her voice sounding so much like Melinda's, Max screeched the car to a stop.

Max turned to Faith and looked at her as if he was looking for Melinda. When he didn't see Melinda he turned to look in the back of the car to see if Melinda was there, but found it was empty. "What did you say?" Max finally asked as he looked at Faith.

"I don't know." Faith answered honestly.

"No, Faith what did you say!" Max almost yelled.

"I think I said because you have to." Faith stated, actually feeling a slight ping of fear at the look in Max's eyes. "Why…why is that so important?"

"Because Melinda said something like that to me today. God damn it! Can't this car move any bloody faster!?" Max cursed as he sped off down the street; if it was possible going faster then he had before. "Call Giles and tell him we need help."

"What!?" Faith asked.

"Call Giles and tell him we'll need your little Scooby gang friends. Now we don't have time to argue!" Max yelled, his eyes on the road. He didn't have time for Faith to be so uncooperative.

"Alright!" Faith yelled back as she got out her cell phone and called Giles. Seems they were calling in the cavalry.

--------------------------------

Melinda felt the taste of copper in her mouth, she wanted nothing more then to spit it out, but she waited until Glory was close enough before she spit the offending blood from her mouth and watched it splash across Glory's face. Melinda was tied to a chair, dried blood coating her hair and the drown stain of blood covering the remains of her shirt. She had no cuts along her face. All the ones she had received had healed themselves after only moments of bleeding. That had only angered Glory into making the cuts deeper and harsher against Melinda's skin so she'd bleed longer. After that hadn't helped the hell goddess any with her anger issues, she just started to hit her with firsts, magic and anything she could possibly come up with.

Glory calmly brought a towel up to her face and wiped away the offending half-breed blood. Glory wished she could just get the information she wanted from the oracle by sucking her brain but it seemed even half breeds have the protection of other Gods in this dimension. Glory had been surprised that Melinda had so willingly handed herself over. At first Glory could have sworn it was part of a trap, but as the hours had passed and no one came in to rescue the misguided oracle and she did nothing to fight back Glory slowly started to realize there was no trap and her offer was genuine. That just pissed her off.

"Finished yet?" Melinda asked, panting, her lungs needing twice as much air to meet the minimum capacity she needed to stay alive.

"Yes." Glory said, she could make this girl scream in agony, bleed to the point of death and yet she still could look her in the eyes with no fear, and no contempt.

Glory glared at the young woman and watched as she stood up, the ropes that had been tied around her to the point where the ropes had cut through her shirt, fell lose to the floor beneath her. Melinda looked at Glory and took a step out of the ropes and looked down at herself before she looked up at the hell goddess.

"What are you!?" Glory asked as she stepped back.

"I'm The Oracle, and I'm here to end this." Melinda stated.

When Melinda looked up at Glory her eyes were as bright as the sun, and held a gold color to them. Glory took another step back, and called for her minions. The minions never came. Glory called for them again and nothing happened. Glory looked around and turned behind her when she heard a crackling. Glory turned to face an opening portal, to where she didn't know but she sure as hell knew she wasn't going to go into it.

"MINIONS!" Glory screamed as she turned back to look at Melinda, and saw the blonde floating just above the ground, an aura the color of her eyes, and just as bright forming around her body.

"They can't hear you, you whore." Faith said as she walked into the room with Willow, Giles, Max, Tara and Xander behind her.

"Giles, Xander….go grab Melinda and get her out of here!" Faith ordered as she rushed over toward Glory her sword at the ready.

Giles and Xander both watched Faith charge Glory, followed soon after by Max while Willow and Tara performed some kind of spell in the background. They both stopped just in front of Melinda and waited for the spell Willow and Tara were performing to be completed. They hadn't been sure how'd they'd know if the spell was completed until they watched as the golden aura surrounding Melinda faded. The portal she had been opening closed without further protest and as it closed Melinda fell right into their arms. Once they had Melinda in their arms they carried her back toward the door and stopped when Max came flying through the air and crashed right through the door followed shortly by Faith. Willow and Tara picked Faith and Max up as they rushed out of the mansion.

The group jumped into two cars, splitting up into the cars closest to them.

"Giles lets go!" Xander yelled from the backseat where he held Melinda back from jumping out of the car.

Willow, Tara, Faith and Max were in the other car right in front of them. The two cars peeled away from the mansion with Glory's figure standing outside the front doors fading into the background as they raced back into town, the sun just rising in front of them.

"Dawn…" Melinda whispered before her eyes closed, the bright shinning dawn slowly fading as her eyes closed and she fell into the black obis that had been calling her name for hours.

TBC…..


	19. Part 15

**The Oracle**

**Disclaimer:** Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, UPN and WB Television Networks own the television shows, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel". No money is being earned off of this story. Just looking for some feedback and hope others enjoy reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing.

**A/N:**_ Thanks for the reviews everyone. Hope you enjoy this next chapter._

**Part 15**

----------------**Hospital**------------------

'What happened!?" Buffy asked as Giles and the gang came limping through the emergency room doors at the hospital.

Max and Faith leaning on Willow and Tara for support and Xander carrying Melinda in his arms. Max had what looked like a serious head wound and Faith was sporting what looked like a broken arm. When Buffy saw Xander rushing into the doors with Melinda she froze. That was everyone except…

"Dawn…" Buffy whispered and looked around the group, her heart stopping.

"Buffy!" Dawn yelled as she rushed forward from the back of the group and ran into her sister's arms.

Buffy held Dawn tightly as she looked around the group and watched as doctors came over to assist them. Max insisted on staying with Melinda but the doctors were taking her in the opposite direction.

"I'll stay with her." Tara reassured Max, nodding her head in his direction.

Max nodded back and sat back down in the wheelchair and let the doctors wheel him away to be checked upon. Faith looked over at Tara herself and then down at Melinda, who was still in Xander's arms. When she looked back up Tara gave the brunette a small smile and a nod. Faith nodded back and let the nurse bring her in a different direction then Max had been taken in. Two doctors rushed forward with a gurney and asked Xander to put her down on it. Once she was on the bed the doctors started to rush off toward trauma room one with her, asking Xander and Tara all sorts of questions as they moved through the halls of the hospital.

"What happened?" Buffy asked as she looked over Dawn's shoulder at Giles.

"It appears that Glory kidnapped Melinda and has been torturing her for hours." Giles said with distain in his voice. "Faith and Max called us to assist them in her rescue and here we are." Giles said as he turned to Buffy.

"Tortured?" Dawn asked paling as she turned to Giles. When she had first seen Melinda and the dried blood she had felt sick but now she knew she needed to be sick.

Giles looked at Dawn and then at Buffy and looked down. There was no way he could take back what he'd already said to make it seem like what happened didn't. It didn't make a difference because even if Giles tried to take everything back Dawn would know he was lying. The mere look in Dawn's eyes was more conforming then anything. Dawn was no longer the small child everyone tried to still imagine her as. She was a young woman, who'd dealt with this just as long as they'd all had.

"Yes, tortured." Giles said as he shook his head. "She'll be fine. It seems her powers had healed her before we got there, and she'd had almost everything under control."

"How?" Dawn asked as a tear fell. "How could she have everything under control if she was being tortured?"

"She was creating her own portal, to send Glory into when we arrived. It seemed she had everything under control when we arrived. It wasn't until we reached your house that we realized what had really happened." Willow said as she walked over to Dawn and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Now…" Giles said as he walked over to Buffy and Dawn. "….why don't we go see to your mother before swinging around to see how everyone else is fairing. Their tests will take a while."

"Okay…" Dawn said nodding her head as she let Willow and Giles lead her toward the elevator. "Buffy….are you coming?" Dawn asked as she turned to look at her sister.

"No…I'm going to check on everyone and I'll meet you up stairs." Buffy said as she looked over at Giles and Willow.

They all nodded understanding to each other and Buffy walked in the direction they had taken Melinda. Buffy wanted to go see Faith, and how she was doing but she knew that the first thing Faith would ask her when she arrived was how Melinda was, so that's where she was going. To check on Melinda, before going to see Faith.

-------------------------

Tara and Xander stood outside swinging doors and watched as doctors tried to find any cut that could have left the dried blood all along Melinda's chest, face and hair. The doctors were used to men, women and children coming in with things they couldn't explain. This however seemed to be a clear. The ripped shirt, the clear and present burns and marks on her chest and the ligature marks on her legs and arms. There were just no open wounds to leave so much dried blood.

Buffy walked up to the two standing outside the doors and heard Tara still uttering a chant and when Buffy looked inside she could easily realize why. Melinda was unconscious, yet what Faith and Max had described wasn't happening. Seemed Tara had been doing this since Giles pulled up to their car and asked for either Willow or Tara to get in the back and start using that spell that Max and Faith had found because Melinda had passed out. The spell helped Melinda keep the control she had while awake while she was unconscious but it mostly helped Tara help her keep it under control, nothing more and nothing less, but it was starting to wear thin on Tara's own power.

"How's she doing?" Buffy asked as she stood behind her two friends and looked over their shoulders into the trauma room.

"Well Tara's keeping her from imploding. So that's a plus." Xander said as he tapped one of his feet impatiently. "They can't find what's wrong with her, but damn Buffy…Glory really did a number on her!" Xander said as he shook his head.

"She's waking up!" The three heard a nurse say from within the trauma room.

"Now what?" Buffy asked as she, Xander and Tara all watched as Melinda opened her eyes and tried to get off the bed and get the doctors to stop touching her.

"We get her out of there…" Xander said.

"But…." Buffy was silenced from making any other objection. Melinda's eyes were dialating and turning to a bright white. "Okay how?"

"Refuse treatment." Tara said as she pushed open the doors to the trauma room followed by Xander.

"What are you doing…you have to leave!" A nurse said as she walked over to escort the three intruders out from the room.

"I refuse treatment. Now stop touching me!" Melinda shouted as she slapped a doctor's hand away from her chest, and moved to cover her eyes with her other hand.

"You can't do that!" A doctor said almost outraged.

"I can do whatever the hell I want doctor. Now get out of my way!" Melinda said as she swung her legs over the edge of the gurney she was on and pulled the IV line out of her before jumping down and walking over to Xander.

"I advise you to stay. You need medical attention." Another doctor insisted with a calming soothing voice.

Melinda turned in her direction but shook her head no. "I'm fine." Melinda stated as she leaned against Xander to keep herself from falling. "Xander, please take me home now." Melinda said as she looked up at Xander, her hand still covering her eyes as she spoke.

Xander nodded his head, looked around the room and then led Melinda out of the room. Tara and Buffy soon followed after the two as they moved toward the lobby of the emergency room. Once inside the room Xander took off his coat and wrapped it around Melinda's shoulders to cover the blonde's torn and tattered clothes. Xander would only admit to it under torture but Melinda had a great body. Not that he had looked or anything, but give him a break he is only human and a man.

Melinda finally removed her hand from her eyes and when they came into view they were their normal one deep blue and one deep sea green. "Max is fine. He just needs some pain med for his head and Faith broke her arm." Melinda said to the group as they moved her toward a chair and sat down around her.

"Now that you started the subject….well sort of. What the hell did you think you were doing!?"

"Saving you." Melinda said as she looked directly into Buffy's eyes, unflinching as she stared right into Buffy's sternest glares.

"What?" To say Buffy was shocked would be an understatement.

"Yeah….what?" Xander asked as he turned fully to look at Melinda.

"Buffy, Faith and Dawn were all going to die. I've seen it, and there's nothing I can do about it. They all die at the same moment and I…I can't be in more then one place at a time. That's one thing that's beyond me." Melinda whispered as she looked down.

"Dawn and Faith are going to die?" Buffy asked as she sank down to sit with her ass on the cold hospital tile floor. "You're sure?" Buffy asked, even though the fact that Melinda had been ready to sacrifice herself spoke volumes to her, she needed to hear Melinda affirm her statement just once more.

"Yes, I'm sure. That's why I went to see Glory tonight. I could give her what she wanted. I could, I just needed her to get me angrier enough to perform the spell, to give me enough power to perform the spell." Melinda said as she looked up at Buffy. "I can get her back to her dimension without her ever having to sacrifice Dawn." Melinda stated and watched as Buffy's eyes widened.

"How did…"

Melinda sighed and shook her head, this wasn't exactly how she wanted to tell Buffy she knew about Dawn being the key.

"Why would Glory want to sacrifice Dawn?" Xander asked as he looked between Buffy and Melinda.

Buffy looked over at Xander and saw his curious eyes looking at her for answers, answers she couldn't give them yet. That she knew she couldn't give him yet. Buffy saw Tara just looking at her, waiting to see what she'd say. She wasn't demanding answers or even demanding an explanation, she was just calmly waiting for her to answer. Buffy would have to thank Tara for that later.

Melinda could feel Buffy's turmoil raging within her. She didn't want to lie to her friends but she needed to keep them safe. She was just confused as to which information would keep them safe. Melinda put her hand on Buffy's shoulder and squeezed gently before she turned to Xander.

"Dawn is the key to getting Buffy to tell her where the Key really is." Melinda explained as she looked at Xander and then at Tara, giving Buffy her way out of lying to her friends.

Xander nodded his head excepting that answer; it made sense, perfect sense. Glory would go after someone that Buffy cared about deeply to get her to give up where the key was. It really did make perfect sense but for some reason he knew there was more to it, but he knew that when Buffy was ready she'd tell him.

"Now…going back to the fact that you said you could get Glory back to her dimension. Why not tell us this before?" Xander asked the young woman.

"She couldn't do it before." Buffy and Tara answered.

Melinda smiled as she looked at Buffy and then at Tara. They knew more then they both were letting on. True Melinda had gotten close to Tara within the last few days and was telling her about the spell she was trying to finish that would save Glory the trouble of locating the key all together. The fact that Buffy had understood what had gone unsaid by her could only make her smile.

"Right…" Xander said nodding, feeling like he had been left out of something. "But you can do it now?" Xander asked. "Was that what that big glowing blue thing was? Glory's portal back to her dimension?"

"Yes it was." Melinda said nodding her head.

"So then why did we close it?!" Xander asked and looked down sheepishly when he saw Tara's glare. "I mean why did Willow and Tara close it then?"

"Wait a second, just hold on. You actually performed the spell and it worked!? But You…" Buffy emphasized as she pointed at Tara. "….and Willow closed it!? Why!?"

"I'd like to know the answer to that as well." Melinda said as she looked at Tara. The last thing she wanted to do was gang up on Tara but her and Willow had made everything she went through, all that pain for nothing. It kind of pissed her off.

"They had to. It was too dangerous for her to perform alone." Max stated as he hobbled over to the group with a nurse following after him. "Oh woman if you would please be so kind as to bugger off." Max stated as he looked at the young nurse that had seemingly chased after him.

Melinda and Buffy both covered their mouths as they looked at Max. He was wearing a hospital gown with his clothes rolled up in a ball as he held them against his chest. The gown only made it just to his knees and was blowing against the air and his entire backside was exposed. His back was to them and they all got a rather big eyeful of something they'd rather not have seen. Tara had her eyes held tightly shut as she faced the way she had been before Max has showed up, her own laughter being held in as she bit her lip to keep it as such.

"Max I think she chased you because you're ass is showing." Melinda said between concealed laughs, her hand covering her mouth, as she looked the other way.

"Yeah man…cover up!" Xander stated as he shook his head.

"My what is showing!?" Max asked as he tried to spin around to see if his ass was really showing.

"Max!" Melinda whined as she closed her eyes as his gown flew up into the air as he spun around.

TBC…..


	20. Part 16

**The Oracle**

**Disclaimer:** Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, UPN and WB Television Networks own the television shows, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel". No money is being earned off of this story. Just looking for some feedback and hope others enjoy reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing.

A/N: Sorry that its taken so long for this update. For some reason my documents wouldn't load and I was unable to update since I didn't have any chapters already ready to be posted. Now that I can, here is an update. Hope you enjoy.

**Drakiri:** I don't plan on ending it like the show. Completly different starting from the escape route on the trailer. Hope that answers your question. Any more details and it'd ruin my planned ending.

_**For this chapter flashbacks will be in Italics.**_

**Part 16**

------------**Next Morning**--------------

"I swear next doctor that calls me sweetie is going to get decked!" Faith swore as she crossed her arms across her chest, the good one and the bad one.

Faith had indeed broken her arm and it was now in its cast. The doctors had kept her over night because she had a concussion as well. She had been complaining since the doctor signed the form that would keep her in the hospital all night and since Max had given the okay. It didn't seem to matter that she was 19, and an adult in the eyes of the law and could make her own decisions. It seemed as soon as Max said he was her guardian, which he had proof of thanks to the council, they gave him all the information and asked HIM all the questions about what HE wanted done. She hadn't gotten a say in anything since He had arrived, and it had finally been the last straw when it was Him who had to wheel her out of the hospital in this stupid wheelchair.

Melinda had come to see her last night and she had almost carried Melinda back downstairs to be check out again because there were no way the doctors did a good enough job if she was allowed to walk around. Faith hadn't even given Max's or the doctor's orders to stay in bed a second thought when she saw Melinda up and walking around. The blonde had been tortured for hours, was bleeding, burned and now scared and SHE was the one that had to stay in bed while Melinda got to walk around.

Well, when Melinda had told her she refused treatment Faith had almost hit the girl upside the head. Faith had calmed down though when Melinda smiled at her, and told her she was fine. As long as Melinda told her she was fine then Faith would let it go, because Melinda wouldn't lie to her about this. Not about their health. They had promised never to do that, and if Melinda said she was all right then Faith would let it go just like she had.

"Faith, let it go. They've released you, not hush up." Max stated as he pushed Faith up to the exit of the hospital.

Buffy and Dawn had come by a few hours ago to see when Faith was going to be released before they went up to see their mother. Joyce was going to have to stay in the hospital for a little longer. Though, she was under guard 24/7. Faith and Max both sighed as they thought about the same conversation they had witnessed last night.

--------------------------

"_Buffy….your mother is going to be fine. She's going to want to leave the hospital and it's a good idea that you take her home as soon as possible. Glory's going to attack your house and when you're not there she's going to come here. We need to get out of here as soon as possible. You're house isn't safe anymore. You, Dawn, and your mother will have to stay somewhere else." Melinda explained as she sat on the chair beside Faith's bed. Max, Xander and Tara were all there, standing or sitting around the room. This had been their first stop since Max was already feeling well enough to flash half the administration of doctors and nurses here at the hospital. _

"_Like where?" Buffy asked. _

"_You could always stay with Anya and me Buf." Xander said from his seat as he looked at Buffy. "I mean we have the extra bedroom and Dawn or you could stay in it or both."_

"_Thanks for the offer Xander but I think we should all stay together. That is Dawn, mom and I." _

"_I…I'd offer but Willow and I don't have the room." Tara said softly as she looked at Buffy with a sad smile. _

"_I know you would Tara." Buffy said giving the other blonde a reassuring smile. _

"_You can move in with Max, Melinda and I." Faith said from the bed as she looked over at Buffy. _

_Melinda smiled while Max frowned. He had worried Melinda would offer their house as a temporary house to the Summer's. He feared that while the other slayer and her family staid they might stumble upon one of the many secrets that Max, Melinda and Faith were trying to keep. _

"_Before you even think of saying anything that just popped into your head. It's the only other place you have besides moving into a hotel. Living with Faith and Max isn't that bad, after all I've had to deal with it for a month and I'm alive." Melinda added in, aiding Faith in her attempt to get Buffy, Dawn and Joyce to stay with them. _

"_Barely." Xander whispered under his breath and received a glare from all three women surrounding him. _

"_As I was saying. The basement already has two cots down there and it's a nice area. We've set it up nice. Max can just tough if out on the couch and Faith and I will take the cots in the basement." Faith said as she smiled at Buffy and turned to stick her tongue out at Max. _

"_No…."_

"_But Buffy…" Faith and Melinda both said expecting Buffy to decline. _

"_Dawn and I will take the cots. That is if the offer still stands." When Buffy saw Faith and Melinda nod she smiled and continued. "You'll be taking us in, we won't kick you out of your own beds." Buffy said Melinda and Faith knowing the witch and slayer had thought she was going to object to moving in period. _

_Melinda smiled and nodded her head. "That'll work out nice. Cause God knows I need my own bed right now." Melinda said as she stretched and grimaced as her bruised ribs protested. _

_Xander leaned back in his chair and nodded his head and let out a deep sigh. It had been a long 24 hours, that was for sure. For now everything was going to be okay. For now they got to have a little bit of a break before something else started to happen, just like they all knew it would. That's just how it was when you lived in Sunnydale. Something always had to happen, it was like the new natural order of things. But just for now….they all rested, because they knew something bigger was coming because….that's just how it was when living on a hell mouth. _

---------------------------

"How's Melinda doing?" Faith asked as she looked straight ahead, itching to jump out of the wheelchair.

"She's doing fine. Taking a lot more over the counter pain killers then I'd like, but she refuses to see a doctor so there really is nothing I can do." Max said as he sighed. "Besides knocking her upside the head and dragging her here."

Faith smiled, Max really did care for Melinda, and she'd like to think starting to care for her. She knew they could fight but she also knew that she had a soft spot for the old British man. She just hoped he held the same kind of soft spot.

"Well, I'm sure she just wants you to let her go to Tara's party tomorrow." Faith said as stood from the wheelchair and took in a deep breath of fresh air.

Max walked back into the hospital to give them back the wheelchair. He walked back outside and smiled as he watched Faith spin around, her eyes closed and arms outstretched as she looked up at the sky. Faith was a wild one but she was also a beautiful young woman with a spirit that Max had only ever seen within Melinda. In the past few months he'd come to care for Faith, and had seen the caring person she could be but also the strong slayer when the sun set. Max cleared his throat, stopping Faith mid spin as she turned to look at Max a light blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Is the party tomorrow?" Max asked, changing the subject so Faith didn't have to dwell in her embarrassment.

"Yes it is." Faith said nodding, happy the subject was back on track and not on her acting like some girly girl.

"Well then I guess we better get you home so Melinda can take you out shopping." Max stated as he lead Faith toward where he parked the car.

Faith laughed and followed Max to the car, holding her arm close to her chest like the doctor had asked her to do instead of letting hang limp by her side. The cast might have weighed a lot to a normal person but to Faith if felt like it was just a wrapping of silk around her arm. The only difference with this silk was it was bulky and was now going to limit her slaying, which pissed her off.

"You know, Melinda's going to be down your throat about you having to not help set up the house for our new guests." Max warned as they reached the car.

Faith smirked as she looked at Max, said nothing but seemed to be deep in thought as she got into the car.

"Hey Max?" Faith asked as they settled into the car.

"Yes?" Max asked, as he turned the ignition.

"Never mind." Faith said before turning to look out her window.

Max turned to look at Faith, concerned when she hadn't finished what she had obviously wanted to say. Max figured when she was ready she'd ask. So, he started the car and drove them home.

TBC…..


	21. Part 16B

**A/N: Thanks for all the feedback. Hope you enjoy this chapter. This chapter will lead into one of the first twists I envisioned for this story. Though I'm having trouble finishing off the chapter that will tie the twist together it should be ready by the time it needs to be posted. Hope that you will enjoy this chapter even if it is a little...emotional...and over done (just a little). **

**_Thoughts will be in Italics as well as sung song lyrics for this chapter._ I do not own the song, just having a character sing the lines of it. The song is owned by Melissa Etheridge, and the title is I Want To Be In Love.**

**Part 16B**

-------------------------------

Tara knocked on the thick oak door lightly. Willow was at Buffy's with Xander and Anya. They were all trying to pack Buffy, Dawn, and Joyce's things. Tara had gone over to help but they had already had it almost all covered, they just asked for her to drive the stuff over to Melinda, Max, and Faith's house and they'd follow after with the rest of the boxes. Tara would be the first to admit she was the last person in the group that was going to be able to unpack any of the boxes that were stacked in her car.

Sure, with a little assistance from magic she might be able to handle a few boxes but only a few, so heir go why she was coming to the door. When Tara raised her balled fist up to the door again to knock she caught the sound of music inside the house. Tara smiled when she recognized the song; it was Melissa Etheridge's _I Want To Be In Love_. That wasn't what made her smile though, what made her smile was the sound of an unfamiliar voice singing along with the song.

Tara brought her hand down to the doorknob and opened the door, a little surprised to find it open, but it didn't bother her at the moment. She wanted to see who it was that was singing. It had to be either Melinda or Faith and as the voice became a little stronger during the chorus Tara's smile grew. Without even walking into the living room she knew it was Melinda's voice. That it was Melinda singing passionately about falling in love. Tara wondered whom it was that Melinda was signing this song for. Tara would hate to admit it but Melinda's voice was far better then her own and a lot of career singers.

"_I'm looking for a heart of gold. I'm looking for a hand to hold. A happy end, strong and kind! Somewhere to rest my troubled mind_" Melinda sang as she walked around the living room picking up little things, the music and singing her real priority. _"In front of total strangers won't you kiss me? Flowers for no reason but you miss me. Oh I want to be in love_." Melinda closed her eyes as she sang and walked into the hallway, turned and walked to the kitchen. Missing Tara completely.

Tara held her breath, hoping that Melinda wouldn't realize she was there. When Melinda continued to walk down the hallway singing Tara took this as her chance to sneak back outside and knock a little louder so Melinda could hear her.

"_On Tuesday light the candles bring me wine. Wednesday morning I won't get to work on time. Oh I want to be in love. Surprise me as I'm stepping off the plane; take my hand as they play our song again. Oh, I want to be in love!" _Melinda sang happily as she walked down the small corridor toward the kitchen. She loved this song. This song was just one of the few songs that she could not just listen to but had to sing along with. Whether she be in a crowded room, or in her bedroom all alone, if this song came on the radio she'd sing it. It was just something that she had to do.

The song came to an end and as the song dulled to the sound of the radio talk show host she sighed and went back into the living room to turn off the radio. Melinda stopped walking when she heard something coming from outside. Melinda thought it might be Giles and Xander coming with the boxes, and as she looked down at her watch she realized if it were them they were a little early. Melinda shrugged her shoulders and opened the door. Though what she found on the other side wasn't Xander or Giles. It was Tara. Tara standing in front of her door talking with three people Melinda didn't recognize.

"Tara…." Melinda said slowly as she stepped out onto the porch, making sure to leave the front door open slightly, just in case.

Tara slowly turned to Melinda. "Melinda…" Tara said calmly, trying to do her best to reassure the younger girl that everything was okay just by giving her a small smile.

Everything wasn't okay and although she knew Melinda would be picking that up momentarily she hoped that her trying to make it seem like everything was okay would make the other blonde realize she could handle it. Even if she wasn't sure she could. They were family after all, she could handle family; she hoped.

Everything inside Melinda was telling her she should grab Tara and run back in the house. Just looking at the two men and one woman made her want to run. They put her on edge and that was never a good sign, ever. Melinda looked the younger man up and down assessing him. He seemed familiar for some reason but she couldn't place it. When Melinda met his eyes she had to look away almost immediately. Her heart rate increased and her legs felt as if they were ready to collapse under her. His eyes were so….dark. They held such resentment and anger that she felt it coming off of him in waves now. Whoever these people were Melinda knew they weren't here to have tea. They were here to cause trouble; the kind of trouble that Melinda just didn't want to have to deal with for a few more days.

"Who are your friends?" Melinda asked as she stepped forward eyeing the older man suspiciously as she looked at him. The feeling that she knew him and the younger man next to him continued to bug her. She just couldn't seem to place how she knew them, or why she thought she did.

"That's funny….I was going to ask the same question." The younger man said, as he in turn looked Melinda up and down.

Melinda didn't really like the fact that he was checking her out, for whatever reason it may be, it still had his eyes looking up and down her body causing her to shiver. Those same eyes that she wished she never had to look into again.

"Th…thi…this is my..my father." Tara introduced as she looked between Melinda and her father.

Melinda looked up at Tara her shock only showing in her eyes. She had only ever heard Tara talk about her family once before, and from what she gathered they weren't exactly the most understanding type.

"Father….th…this is Melinda." Tara said introducing her father to Melinda even though she wished she didn't have to.

"How do you do." Mr. Maclay said as he bowed his head to Melinda.

"Hi." Melinda said curtly as she looked Mr. Maclay over once again.

"I'm Donny…" The younger man said introducing himself as he looked at Melinda. "This is my cousin Beth." He said nodding his head toward the red head behind him and his father.

"Hi." Melinda said as she bowed her head to both in greeting. "Is there something I can help you with?" Melinda asked the three new comers.

"No. We're just here to speak with Tara." Mr. Maclay said as he looked from Melinda to Tara.

"Oh….well um…"

'_Don't leave me.' _Was the first thing that Melinda heard when she looked at Tara. Usually Melinda would really have to try to read Tara's mind but it seemed Tara wanted her to hear that, or some part of her wanted her to hear her plea.

"….why don't you come inside." Melinda invited, unwilling to leave Tara alone with her family members now.

Mr. Maclay looked at Tara and then turned toward his son and niece before he turned back to Melinda and answered. "Thank you for the invitation, but that's alright. We'd better be off." Mr. Maclay then turned to Tara. "I'll pick you up at your dorm at 6?" He said as a statement rather then a question.

As the three walked down the path to sidewalk Melinda couldn't help but sneak a peak into their minds. She would never admit to it under torture but sometimes reading others minds was what helped Melinda get her opinion on a person. Melinda's eyes slowly dilated as she listened in to the threes thoughts. She could easily tell whose was who's just by the sounds of the voices. In a persons mind their voice was the same as it was as they spoke, something Melinda always wondered about.

"I don't like what they had to say when no one can hear them." Melinda stated as she watched the car holding the three Maclays speed off down the road. "I'm not rude." Melinda said pouting as she turned and looked at Tara. "And you're certainly not evil. You're the sweetest person I know…well okay you and Dawn are tied for that position but still. You get my point."

"Ho…how did…"

Melinda looked at Tara with a smirk. "I can read minds Tara….and that was one fact your slime of a slut cousin couldn't stop saying as she cursed you out in her head. Heir go ….I don't like them." Melinda said as she turned toward the house and opened the door. "Aren't you coming in?" Melinda asked as she stood in the doorway holding the door open as she looked at Tara.

"Yes. I'm coming." Tara said as she looked back out at the street before going into the house.

Once inside Melinda told Tara to go into the living room and get herself comfortable. Melinda then went and brought out the cup of tea she had made for herself before, but handed it to Tara. They took their tea the same way, and although they both could have their mood swings between coffee and tea, Melinda knew today was a tea day.

"Thank you." Tara said with a shy smile as she took the teacup and then looked down into the light brown liquid.

"Your welcome." Melinda said as she sat down in the armchair across from the couch.

An uncomfortable silence overtook the room and all that filled it was Tara's thoughts, something Melinda was trying desperately not to listen to. They were Tara's own personal thoughts and although she would read minds when it was appropriate or even when it wasn't she tried her best never to listen in on thoughts that didn't concern her or were personal to their bearer. Melinda found that she couldn't not listen to the thoughts and she didn't want to hear them from Tara's mind but have her actually say it to her, trust her with them.

"You want to tell me what that was all about?" Melinda asked gently as she sat back, trying to become as comfortable as possible, while looking at Tara.

Tara took a deep breath and looked up at Melinda through the top of her hair and then looked back down at her teacup. She didn't know where to begin, or what she could really say. There was just some much going on within her head and heart that she felt completely lost. Tara, if she were the kind of person to pace, would be pacing back and forth across the room until she wore the carpet down to dust. Too bad she wasn't that type of person. Tara sighed and put her teacup down on the coffee table but refused to look up at Melinda. It'd be better if she left now, before she really had to explain what she was to her friend.

Melinda and Tara had clicked the moment they met. They both seemed unsure why but they had. Their new friendship though it was short in its lifetime so far, had connected them more closely then friends they might have had for years. Tara had thought it was due to the fact that they were both witches, but then the same could go for Willow. Willow and Melinda weren't as close as Tara would like them to be and Tara didn't have ANY romantic feelings toward Melinda. They were just close friends, and no matter how close she thought they were she knew she couldn't burden Melinda with knowing what she was. What she would become on her 20th birthday.

"Tara…." Melinda said softly as she looked at Tara.

"I have to go." Tara said as she stood up and started to walk to the door.

"Wait…Tara!" Melinda said as she jumped up from her seat and grabbed onto Tara's arm. The wave of emotion that Melinda felt rush through her made her fall to her knees and let go of Tara's arm.

Tara looked over at Melinda and took a step forward to help her friend but stopped mid step. If she touched Melinda again the blonde would be worse off then she was right now. Tara wasn't sure why she was going to do this but she had to. She had to leave! She had to fix all of this so it wouldn't happen. "I'm sorry…" Tara whispered as she rushed out the door.

"Tara..!" Melinda yelled as she tried to stand up but fell back to her knees. "Wait…!" Melinda screamed at the closed door before she fell to her side and groaned when her bruised ribs protested at the harsh contact. "Come back…." Melinda whispered as she closed her eyes as tears fell. "Come back…"

Melinda wasn't crying for her pain but for Tara's. The pain she'd felt wash over her as she touched her skin was almost unbearable. It had been unbearable. The fear that washed over her from just a simple touch of Tara's skin had crippled her to her knees. Fear of rejection, and of hate. Melinda squeezed her eyes closed trying to find the source of all this pain, and just as she knew she'd reached it she shot up from the floor and sat up.

Melinda gasped as her eyes shot open. Her eyes were aglow with color as she was given just another one of her visions. Though as Melinda continued to play a part of this vision she realized it was no vision of the future. It was of the past, her past. A part of her past that she had almost forgotten.

TBC…..


	22. Part 17

A/N: Flashbacks and visions will both be in italics this chapter. There will be breaks in this chapter to help understand what is a flashback and what is a vision. I've written, deleted, re-written and deleted it again. I just can't seem to get it the way I want it but I hope that you will still enjoy and let me know if I did a horrible job or a semi okay one.

**Part 17 **

--------------**4 years ago**-------------

_The world passed by in shades of many different colors. The speed in which their car was traveling created something that Melinda compared to breaking the space-time continuum. The only difference was that there were fewer colors now then there were when the barrier between time and space was plied open. Melinda didn't understand why they needed to travel upstate for someone's funeral. It just didn't make much sense. They had been living in so many different places, running from the Council, that Melinda couldn't even remember meeting this woman who passed away. It was sad that this woman had died but it wasn't like they could do anything about it now and Melinda honestly didn't fancy being captured by the Council. _

_Melinda sighed and leaned her head further up against the cold window and finally let her eyes close. Her mind was racing and there were a lot of different reasons she hated going to funerals. The few she had been to over the years weren't the most pleasant. True that when at a funeral the last thing you'd expect was for everything to be happy go lucky, but for Melinda, being the empath, that she was…well they were extremely uncomfortable for her. _

_"Don't worry sweetie. We'll only stay for a while. I promise." Melissa said as she looked over at Melinda with a small reassuring smile. _

_"Alright." Melinda answered, knowing she didn't have a choice in the matter any way. _

_In the end though they staid much longer then just a little while. Melissa and Melinda stood around the coffin with the rest of the friends and family and listened as the priests spoke, the choirs sang, people cried and sobbed. Melinda stood ramrod straight, her hand holding onto her 'mother's' as she looked down at the grass beneath her feet. She was trying to concentrate, and the grip she held Melissa's hand with confirmed she was losing the fight to keep the overwhelming emotions at bay. Melinda hated funerals, she hated how sad everyone became and how she could do nothing for their sufferings. Melinda kept her head leaning against Melissa's arm throughout the small burial ceremony. _

_Melinda turned her head up to the sky when she felt the brisk cool breeze blow against her back and pass around the people surrounding the coffin that was being laid to rest. There was a storm coming. How fitting it seemed to Melinda, that on the day many people buried their loved ones there was a storm brewing around them. A storm that held just as much power as the powerful feelings of loss and uncertainty that emanated from the people surrounding her. _

_Melinda felt her mom squeeze her hand and she finally looked up from the ground and saw that everyone was slowly walking away toward a tented area. Melinda saw the look in her mother's eyes and she shook her head and let go of her hand. There was no way she was going in that tent, she'd suffocate! _

_"I'm going to pay my respect...stay in the line of sight alright?" _

_"Okay." Melinda answered grateful that she didn't have to go inside that small little tent with people that were mourning the loss of a loved one. _

_Melinda found herself staying by the grave for a few moments. She hadn't known the woman being buried but she felt connected to her somehow. Perhaps it was just because of all the memories that people seemed to have been pushing to the front of their minds, of happier times. Maybe that's why she felt like she knew this woman being buried and why she felt like she was losing someone close to her. _

_The wind slowly started to pick up and Melinda shivered, it was getting cold. Melinda sighed as she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep warm. Melinda continued to look down at the grave stone and continued to read the name over and over again as her eyes moved along the inscription of the letters on the head stone. _

_**'Alice Maclay Beloved daughter, mother and wife' ** _

_Melinda felt a rush of rage and anguish coming from somewhere a head of her. Melinda looked up but saw no one standing on the other side of the hole where the coffin was being buried. Melinda knew someone was close enough for her to feel their pain. Melinda looked back toward the tent and out toward the open space that was the graveyard. Melinda took a deep breath, pulled her jacket closer to her and started to walk in the direction she knew someone would be, mourning. _

_Melinda wasn't sure how far she had walked, all she knew was she was definitely going to be in trouble when her mom couldn't see her anymore. Melinda rolled her eyes, and wondered where this person was, and how on earth their emotions had been able to reach her from all the way out here. Melinda felt like hitting herself, here she was complaining about how she had to walk this far out to find this person, when this person must be in their own form of emotional hell for their emotions to reach her all the way back at that grave. _

_Melinda had only passed a few people as she walked through the cemetery, holding her jacket as close to her as she possibly could, clinging to the warmth it provided. This beautiful sunny day was about to turn into a nasty rainstorm spring afternoon. _

_Melinda stopped walking when she heard it, sobbing. It was right ahead of her and as she took a few steps toward the sound she felt her heart clench in her chest. It was hard to breath as she continued to walk toward the sobbing. Melinda didn't understand why she continued to walk toward this unseen force that was truly suffocating her, but she continued. As she rounded a mausoleum she came to a beautiful and heart wrenching scene. There in front of her stood a tall, strong and beautiful willow tree. _

_The tree was what amazed her. She had walked a good distance through this cemetery and this was the only other sign of plant life besides the flowers placed on the graves and the grass that grew beneath her. What was heart wrenching was the sight of a young woman, that couldn't be more then five years older then her, sitting against the tree her knees drawn up to her chest and tears streaming down her face. _

_Here it was, the person that had pulled her through a cemetery, and now as she stood in front of the tree and the girl she was unsure of what to do now. Melinda took a step away from the tree and the woman but froze when she stepped on some kind of twig and it snapped under her weight. Melinda watched as the woman's head shot up from where it had been resting on top of her knees, and for the first time she saw the woman's eyes. Deep sea blue eyes, glistening with tears and tainted with red from the same tears that made her eyes so entrancing. Add to that the blonde locks and she was stunning. The woman eyed her, met her eyes for only a moment, and then put her head back down on her knees and continued to cry. _

_"I just can't get away from them. They just follow me everywhere. Can't they see I don't want to see any of them? I don't want to hear how sorry they are; the only thing I want is her. I just want her back." Melinda heard and she felt horrible. _

_Melinda wondered what it was she could do, what she wanted to do was step forward and hold this woman as she cried. Comfort her where no one else could, tell her that everything was going to be alright and let her in on a deep secret that would wash away all her pain. Her mother, the one that she buried, Alice, was standing behind her in the presence of the tree. Melinda went to take a step forward, finally having made up her mind, but a call from her left stopped her in mid step. _

_"Tara...Tara!" A man called out as he rushed from out of nowhere and he stopped running when he saw the woman by the tree. "Tara...there you are." He spoke as he walked over to the woman by the tree and stood in front of her. "Dad's looking for you...everyone worried you'd run off. Come on now...there are people at the tent waitin' for you." _

_"Alright...alright I'm coming." The woman named Tara answered as she stood from the ground. 'Not that I have a choice.' _

_Melinda sighed and turned when she too heard someone calling her name. It was her mom, and by the frustration coming from her voice and the waves she felt she knew she was in trouble. Melinda turned back to the willow tree and saw that the young woman and man were no longer there. Melinda sighed and eyed the tree for a moment before bowing her head to the almighty presence it gave off, before she rushed off toward her mother. As she ran she smiled when the first raindrops touched her skin. The storm had finally made it, and was there to wash all the troubles away. _

_

* * *

Melinda gasped and wrapped her arm around her waist as her eyes slowly started to return to their normal blue-green. Melinda felt her heart race against her chest and wondered why it hadn't burst through her rib cage yet. Surely the pain it was causing her ribs now would hardly compare to the pain of it finally just breaking through, right? Melinda shook her head and took in a few deep breaths trying to calm herself. She knew Tara! Well, she had already met Tara. Years ago at a funeral Melissa had dragged her to._

"Why does this matter so much?" Melinda asked aloud as she looked down at her shirt.

"Why does that funeral, meeting Tara mean so much to remind me of it with a vi…." Melinda's words came to a stop as her eyes widened and within moments a bright blazing gold color shone from them.

Melinda slowly fell backwards, her back never touching the ground, as she stayed afloat just above the ground. Seemed she was going to get her answer.

TBC….


	23. Part 18

**The Oracle**

**Disclaimer:** Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, UPN and WB Television Networks own the television shows, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel". No money is being earned off of this story. Just looking for some feedback and hope others enjoy reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing.

Flashbacks/visions will both be in italics this chapter. I've written, deleted, re-written and deleted it again. I just can't seem to get it the way I want it but I hope that you will still enjoy and let me know if I did a horrible job or if I actually did okay on this chapter. This chapter holds the main twist I planned from the very beginning of the story and I hope everyone takes it well...well enough anyway.

**Part 18**

'Family Ties'

------------------------------------

_The hallway was dark and the sounds of a brewing storm sounded in the distance. The thunders roar, echoed through the hallway as Melinda walked down its ghostly yet familiar lengths. Melinda looked from side to side. The walls on either side of her were covered in pictures. Pictures, paintings, and family portraits, some dating back to the civil war! Melinda felt a rush of cold air blow past her. All along her skin goose bumps appeared and a shiver ran down her spine. That was no ordinary rush of cold air, and realizing this the hairs on the back of her neck rose._

_Melinda took, agonizingly slow steady steps down the hallway. She wanted to run down the hallway. She felt as if someone was watching her. Just the feeling made her shiver and pull her arms around her chest hoping to warm her now freezing body. Clouds of smoke slowly appeared in front of her face as she breathed. The temperature dropped finically. It was almost unbelievable. The approaching storm seemed to still for a moment. The lightning illumination spread through the uncovered windows lighting Melinda's path. Melinda heard a slow growling noise and as she slowly turned her head around to look down the hallway which she had just come a loud crash was heard and the entire foundation shook._

_Melinda lost her balance and she fell to one of her knees and used her outstretched hand to keep her from falling flat on her face. Melinda chanced one last look down the dark hallway and snapped her head back forward and took off in a run. The paintings and portraits were now only blurs as she ran down the hallways. The lightning lighted her path down each hallway. After running for what seemed like an eternity but had only been a few moments lightning flashed and with it light illuminated her path and directly in front of her was a double door. Not knowing where it led and not caring Melinda ran for the door and used her elbow to slam the doors open. The wooden doors smashed back against their hinges and one fell off of it at the force in which it had been hit._

_Melinda panted and held her injured arm against her body as she looked around. She was in the middle of an open gallery. The stairwell was to her right and there were four doorways surround the room, excluding the one she just came through. The front door was to her left and she knew that door was not one she planned on using right now. If she didn't take into account the thunder or lightning there was always the echoing of the torrential rain pounding against the house that spoke volumes to her. There was no way she was leaving this house with this storm raging._

_Melinda's face illuminated with the light from the lightning and she counted in her head, but she only got to two before the thunder roared and the foundation of the house shook once again. Seemed this storm was far too close for comfort. The rain was pounding down against the house and it echoed through the house just like the loud cracks of lightning and the frightening roars of thunder. Through all the noise and destruction the storm was causing outside Melinda could hear it. It was far less pronounced then the noise from the storm or the pounding rain but it was there. Screaming, someone in this house was screaming and their screams were fighting to be heard over the nauseating sounds of the storm outside._

_Melinda looked up towards the winding stairwell and took a deep breath. There was pain, it was not only emanating from someone in the house but her own self as well. Melinda cringed as she tried to move her arm. She looked down at it and saw some streaks of blood dripping from the top of her shoulder. Maybe ramming the doors open hadn't been a good idea. Melinda shook her head and slowly made her walk towards the stairs. Just as her foot touched the first stair a man, one she recognized but couldn't place ran down the stairs and stared at the open double doors. The ones she had just broken through. He stared at them and shook his head before closing the one that wasn't hanging off its hinges._

_He took one last look at the doors and turned running back up the stairs. Melinda wanting to know where he was going ran after him. There was something he was giving off, deception and fear. He was afraid of something. There was also a passion, but a burning one towards one of the worst emotions man has known, hate. He hated something so deeply that Melinda could feel it running off of him in waves. As they made it to the second floor the man stopped at a doorway. There were two children standing in the doorway. A little boy and a little girl, the boy couldn't be any older then ten and the little girl couldn't be older then four._

_Melinda looked at the two little ones and listened as the man tried to reassure them that there was nothing downstairs. That it had only been the storm that had blown open the doors._

_"But sir…." The young boy started to disagree with this father._

_"No buts….there is nothing down there!" The father insisted._

_"Yes sir." The little boy said as he put his hand on the little girl's shoulder._

_That's when Melinda realized it. The little girl, she wasn't looking at her father or her brother. The kid was looking right at her! Melinda looked both ways and then looked at the kid again. The girl was staring right back into her eyes smiling a shy smile. Melinda's jaw almost dropped. The kid could see her._

_"Tara go with your brother." The man said to the little girl._

_If Melinda's jaw had been ready to hit the floor before now it was slack down against the hardwood under her feet. That little girl, the one that could see her wasn't just some kid. It was Tara….a very young and cute Tara. Then that meant the man in front of her was Mr. Maclay. Before Melinda could really do anything the father closed the door on the kids and told them to go back to sleep. Melinda watched the father sigh and shake his head trying to calm down. Melinda watched him for a moment but when a scream echoed through the halls both of their heads snapped in the direction._

_The man was the first to take off in the direction of the scream but she was soon following right behind him. They both soon made it up to what Melinda assumed was the master bedroom. There was a woman on the floor leaning against several large pillows and laying on several blankets. There was some blood and there were two women one on either side of her, the older one with wrinkles that showed her true age and wisdom holding the woman to her. The other woman was holding a bundle in a blanket and Melinda waited. She knew there had to be cries that the baby inside that bundle had to cry, but the cries never came._

_Melinda shook her head when she heard the older woman speak. "The child didn't make it." The woman said in a hushed tone._

_The old woman was looking over the crying woman's shoulder at the man standing right beside Melinda. Melinda looked at the man and saw there was no emotion showing, nothing. No sorrow, no despair nothing. He just turned away from the older woman and looked at the woman holding his dead child. No….it wasn't his child. He wasn't the father. Melinda then turned to take a good look at the woman holding the child, the dead child. As Melinda's eyes met the figure of the woman holding the child's body lightning flashed and it lit the entire room and for the first time she saw who the woman was that held the baby._

_"Melissa…"_

_Melinda looked at the father for a moment when she saw the look Melissa was giving him. He looked away from her after nodding at her. Melissa didn't even look back at the grieving mother as she started to walk away with the child's body. As Melissa started to walk away Alice Maclay sat up and started to beg for Melissa to let her see her child._

_"No….please let me see her. Don't take her away yet. Just let me hold her…just once." Alice begged as her tears streamed down her face._

_Melinda grabbed onto her stomach and pushed against her upper chest as if trying to keep her heart inside her chest. The pain she could feel coming from Alice was breaking her heart, almost literally. Melinda also felt disgust coming from the man standing beside her and she swore the next time she saw Mr. Maclay she was going to give him a piece of her mind._

_Melissa kept walking, holding the baby's body close to her chest as she walked. She ignored Alice's pleas and as she passed by Mr. Maclay she went right through Melinda and she felt everything that Melissa felt. She felt sick to her stomach with guilt, she felt fear of something or someone, and she felt love. What she also felt was confusion and as she turned around and watched Melissa leave the room Melinda caught sight of one green eye and one blue, her eyes. Melinda froze and watched as Melissa picked up her pace and rushed down the stairs. Melinda took one last look at Mr. Maclay before moving to the door. Just as she reached it she turned around and saw Alice smother her face into her mother's shirt. Alice Maclay was her mother. Tara Maclay was her sister. This just wasn't happening. It couldn't be true._

_"MELISSAA……….!!!" Alice screamed and the scream tore Melinda out of her haze and with one last look at her mother she ran down the stairs after Melissa._

_When she reached the floor that she and Mr. Maclay had stopped at before she froze when she saw Tara standing in front of Melissa blocking her path._

_"You cants takes my sister!" Tara said as she glared up at Melissa._

_"Get out of my way!" Melissa stated loudly as she tried to step around the toddler but was stopped when the blonde child wrapped her arms around one of her legs stopping her in mid stride._

_"No….gives my sister back!" Tara ordered as she held on tightly to Melissa's leg._

_Melinda couldn't believe what she was seeing. All the times she had had this dream not once had she seen this. Not once had she made it past her mother's agonizing scream for Melissa to bring the baby back. Then again she usually only went through the hallways and then somehow wound up in the master bedroom just in time to hear the grandmother say that she was dead. Not once had she ever known Tara was her sister, that Mr. Maclay was her mother's husband and not once did she know that Alice Maclay was her mother. Her biological mother. Not once, not until now._

_Tara knew! Tara knew she was alive. That the baby that Melissa stole from her mother was still alive and not dead. How she knew, Melinda had no idea, but she knew. That was the only explanation as to why she was fighting so hard to get her back. Melinda watched as everything around her lit up and the thunder sounded through the house, just as the thunder sounded and the house shook Melissa kicked as hard as she could. The kick sent Tara flying against the wall, and Melinda watched as Tara's head hit the wall behind her and her eyes slowly fell closed._

_Melinda moved toward Tara's small and helpless form and as she just about reached her she disappeared. Melinda turned around looking around for Tara desperately but found nothing. Not the staircase, not the walls, not Melissa's escaping form, nothing. There was nothing but darkness around her, sucking her in. Melinda felt as if she were suffocating. The air burning as it made its way down her throat. Melinda knew this feeling. She had felt this before. Melinda had felt like this when she had grabbed onto Tara. Tara._

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"Tara!" Melinda screamed as she sat up.

Standing around her were Faith, Max, and Buffy along with her gang and mother. They all were looking at her with odd looks on each face. Melinda looked at each one hoping to see Tara in the small gathering but when she saw that the older witch wasn't there she jumped up from her spot on the floor and ran. Melinda pushed past Faith and Buffy and grabbed a hold of the banister to the stairs and ran up the stairs two at a time. She knew exactly what she was going after first, then she knew where she was going second. She just needed to be sure. She had to be sure! Then once she was sure she'd kill the bastard that did this to her. But first….she needed those files.

TBC…..


	24. Part 19

A/N: I guess the last chapter wasn't liked as much as I had been hoping it might be. Thank you Drakiri for the review. As to answer your question, she'll be as protective as she can be after she finds out. (wink) I was hoping to get more reivews before posting the next chapter but I don't think many more are coming so I'm posting the next chapter anyway. Hope you like this chapter. I think with this chapter everyone can see which couple I'm going for. Hope that's alright but I really think there's chemistry for another couple being made and well...the majority wanted it this way.

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**Part 19 **

--------------**20 Minutes Ago**-----------------

Faith closed the car door slowly after making sure Joyce was in the car. Giles and Dawn had just gone inside to make sure that they packed all the things they'd need while they lived with Faith and Melinda. Buffy was sitting on the hood of the car looking into space. Faith turned and let her eyes take in the blonde slayer. They had been getting along rather well lately. Faith had been here for almost two months now and at first they had a rocky start but it was getting better. Faith had been confused when Buffy had come onto her almost three days after she found out she was back in town. That wasn't something she had expected to happen. Hell nothing she expected to happen really ever did so….

It had been almost a relief when Melinda told her that it was a distraction spell, which had ended up being a love spell that caused Buffy to try and kill her; not that Buffy hadn't already tried to kill her a few times; it was just nice to know that this time it wasn't because Buffy hated her. Actually it was the complete opposite, it was because Buffy loved her. Yes, Melinda had told her about that part of the spell as well. What Faith was wondering about now was why she had turned Buffy down.

Buffy had come to her the same day she tried to kill her and confessed to loving her and asking for a second chance. Faith had been blown away when Buffy had said she loved her, that she was in love with her and that **SHE** wanted a second chance. Faith had been sure she was the one that needed to ask for a second chance to be a part of Buffy's life, not the other way around. True, Faith did end up asking Buffy for another chance, but to know that Buffy wanted a second chance at their friendship always made her smile. Hell the fact that she knew Buffy recuperated her feelings was enough to make her jump for joy and smile and walk with a hop in her step.

Buffy loved her and Faith loved Buffy! So why didn't she tell Buffy that when she came knocking on her door? Faith sighed as she leaned against the car and watched as Buffy's blonde locks flew back behind her. They seemed to glow with the light from the bright shinning sun above her. Faith smiled as she stepped away from her position against the car and walked to the front of the car and waited. She didn't have to wait long.

"Thank you for doing this Faith." Buffy said, her eyes still looking down the block.

"Its no big." Faith answered with a shrug of her shoulders.

"It is a big deal. You're giving up all your free space and taking us in." Buffy said as she turned to look at the brunette. Her face showed her surprise at how lightly Faith was taking this subject.

"Look Buffy its really not that big of a deal." Faith tried to convince the blonde but the look in Buffy's eyes warned Faith of her own demise.

"Whether or not you think it's a big deal I think it is and I'm thanking you for it." Buffy said her tone indicating she was leaving it at that.

Faith just nodded her head and watched as Buffy turned to look back down the block. A serene look overcame her face. Faith wondered what it was she was thinking about. Buffy smiled lightly as she looked down the block. She had come to call this town home long ago. During all the apocalypses she knew what she would lose if she lost. She would lose her friends, her family, her home and her life. She never forgot what it was she fought for, or she tried to never forget. Sometimes the line could cross and become jumbled but in the end she knew where she stood.

The house to her right was her home but if the wood was torn down and their possessions lost Buffy held no doubt that as long as she had her family and friends, she could make anyplace a home. Just as long as she had what really mattered there to help her, like her mother and Dawn, as well as the entire gang. Buffy sighed. Her thoughts of home brought her back to the one person she was sure she could never make a home with, Faith. Funny how Faith was the one person she thought she could make a home with if it were just the two of them.

In the past few weeks she had come to realize what she'd been missing. It was like when Faith came back everything felt right. It was as if her other half had finally returned. Now that Faith was back Buffy knew she'd do anything and everything in her power to make sure she staid. Because if Faith were to leave then things would go back to normal, back to the way things had been while she was gone, and Buffy wasn't normal. She couldn't fit into normal. She was different and she needed things to be different. She needed Faith to make everything different. She just didn't understand why. Or maybe she did. Maybe that love spell really did put things into perspective for her.

"Faith…."

"Yeah Buffy?"

"Do you think you could do something for me?" Buffy asked as she turned to look into Faith's eyes.

"Sure Buffy, what is it?" Faith asked now intent on doing whatever it was the blonde wanted her to do.

"Could you…."

"Yes?"

"Could you stop calling me Buffy?."

Okay now that was not what Faith was expecting. "Uh….."

"I mean….I know that's a weird request but…" Buffy laughed lightly as she spoke. "…its just it doesn't sound….it doesn't sound right when you say it."

"What do you mean it doesn't sound right?" Faith asked curiously.

"Don't take any offense Faith. Its just it sounds weird to me, that's all. For the longest time you called me B of Buf, just hearing you say my full name like that doesn't sound right in my ears. Its like me calling you 'F'."

Faith cringed at the sound and Buffy smiled brightly as she laughed a little harder this time. "Besides everyone calls me Buffy now. I could use a change."

Faith laughed lightly and nodded her head. It was nice to hear Buffy laugh, even just as faintly as she was. "You're name really doesn't give people a lot of variety to pick from….B." Faith said with a smile.

Buffy laughed as she shock her head. "Don't I know it!"

For what seemed like hours they both laughed. They laughed out right and deeply. By the time they started to slow they realized how out of breath they were. But they also realize how good it felt to laugh like they were. Buffy and Faith heard the front door open and they both looked over to it before looking back into the others eyes. They only looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds, but it was enough for both of them. It was enough time for them both to see what really lie beneath the other's façade. It was enough time to see the love reflecting in both pairs of eyes.

"Thanks Faith." Buffy said smiling as she slid down off the hood of the car.

"No problem B." Faith answered, though at the moment she wasn't sure what she was being thanked for. But for right now….that was okay.

TBC……


	25. Part 20

**A/N: Hey all. I know its taken a really long time for this story to be updated and obviously that's my fault. School is ending and finals as well as state exams are here and I've been studying for them. They should all be done by next week and I should be able to update reguarlly throughout the summer. I hope those of you that have been reading since the beginning will continue to read and let me know what you think. If I'm doing a bad job tell me. If you like the job tell me don't be afraid to tell me. (smile) **

**Anyway...here's the update. Hope you enjoy. Again sorry its taken this long to get the update up. **

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**Part 20 **

_'A Real Monster' _

------------------**Present**---------------

Giles and Max shared a confused look with one another. They were holding Joyce up on her own two feet. They had taken her out of the hospital sooner then the doctors would have liked but they had given her a clean bill of health and they couldn't force her to stay, she was still coming in and out of her own little world. It scared Dawn a little when her mother had accused her of not being real. Those fears of being rejected by her mother had been squashed only a few moments ago. Joyce had sworn to her that no matter how long she had been with them that she was still her mother and loved her more then anything in the world. Now Dawn wasn't scared she was worried.

The group had come into the house expecting to see both Tara and Melinda laughing, smiling and welcoming them all into the house. What they actually received was Melinda's floating form in the doorway between the hallway and the living room. It certainly hadn't been what they were expecting and now as they heard a door slam they wondered what had happened.

"Joyce why don't we go sit down on the couch, inside…." Giles said to the woman hanging onto his arm and before she could really answer started to lead her toward the living room.

"Faith…" Max went to say but Faith already had her hand up.

"I'm on it." Faith said hurriedly as she rushed up the stairs after Melinda to see what in the world was actually going on.

Dawn looked at Max and saw him nod his head once before turning to the four standing in the middle of the threshold of his home. Dawn saw an unfamiliar look in Max's eyes. She had known him for only a few weeks but she had come accustomed to his many faces and looks. It had almost become like a game for her and Melinda, to see who could mimic the looks the best.

"You need us to do anything?" Xander asked already sensing the watcher was going to be asking them for something, he just couldn't find the way to say it.

"Yes…." Max said as he looked at the floor and then back up at Xander. "….in a few minutes all hell may break lose and I need you to make sure that Faith stays here. She's not going to want to stay but it'd be better if she remained here."

Buffy looked at Max and realized he knew what was happening. He knew why Melinda had screamed Tara's name when she awoke from her vision. "What did she see?"

"And what did it have to do with Tara!?" Willow demanded, as she looked at Max her eyes hard as stone.

"It has everything to do with Tara." Max stated with an exasperated sigh and a shake of his head. This was his 'cleaning his glasses'. It was what he used when he needed a moment to find the right words. Just like Giles did when he cleaned his glasses except in his case he didn't wear any glasses.

"Then explain why it has everything to do with Tara." Willow said her voice harsh and clear as she spoke while taking a step toward Max.

If her girlfriend was in trouble she wanted to know! No, she needed to know now so she could kill, vanquish, and stop whoever it was that was after her. Buffy, Xander and Willow had all moved closer to Max crowding him, hoping if they scared him enough he'd talk.

If Faith was going to need to be kept inside, then that would mean that Melinda was going to be going outside. It was the only explanation Dawn could muster. If this all had to do with Tara and Melinda, and Faith needed to be kept inside, but Melinda didn't then….then it meant something. Something important. How important she wasn't sure. But she knew enough to know that she needed to be there for her friends when it was over.

Max sighed again as he looked up at the expectant faces of the three young adults. There was no way out of this explanation and he knew that. He hoped that Melinda or Tara would be the ones to give it to them. Seemed things might not work out that way. Or then again they might.

Faith reached the room the moment the folder flew out of the drawer and fly right into Melinda's hands. Even after everything she'd seen as a slayer, small things like this still amazed her. Not the fact that Melinda could do that but the fact that Melinda was surprised each and every time something like this happened. It was as if she didn't know how much power she truly had. Faith realizing she was staring shook her head and calmed herself before she walked into Max's small office and up to the blonde Oracle in front of her.

Melinda opened the folder slowly. The tears that slid freely down her cheeks fell to the folder and stained its cover. Melinda wasn't sure what she was hoping to see in this folder. Hell she wasn't sure she wanted to open this folder anymore. It wasn't something she had ever wanted to do. That is, to find out whom her family members were. Melinda took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she opened the folder. The tears released from her closing her eyes falling to the first piece of paper inside the folder.

Faith came up behind Melinda, interested in what Melinda had seen in her vision but also interested in what she was now staring blankly at. Faith reached out her hand and placed it on Melinda's shoulder. This girl right next to her was her best friend, almost like family, and she was crying. Faith's breath caught in her chest when the tips of her fingers made contact with Melinda's skin. This was the first time Faith had ever felt something like this. This was the first time she was able to feel what Melinda was feeling, and not the other way around.

"Melinda…." Faith whispered softly as tears she didn't even realize where there fell from her eyes. All for her friends pain.

"She is…" Melinda whispered as she turned her head and looked into Faith's eyes.

For the second time in only two minutes Faith's breath caught in her chest once again. Melinda's eyes, her beautifully free and soulful blue and green eyes were lost. The warmth that Melinda's eyes always gave off was still there, but it was dwindling. It was dying. It was lost. Lost behind the pain and the sorrow coursing through her.

"She is what?" Faith asked squeezing Melinda's shoulder a little tighter. Needing to give off just a little reassurance to the younger woman.

"She is my sister." Melinda said as she slowly turned her head back to the folder held tightly in her hands. On the first piece of paper there was a picture attached to the top of it by a paper clip. The picture was of Tara, and the paper told her that Tara was her sister.

"Who is your sister?" Faith asked as she slowly moved her head to look over the top of the folder and see what lay within it.

"Tara…" Melinda said.

It was as if just the utterance of Tara's name egnited something within the shell shocked Oracle. Her eyes came aglow and she didn't fall, or float. She stood on her own two feet, no gasp, no look of shock. She stood where she was and when her eyes returned to their normal state, the pain was no longer there. A new look and feeling over took the Oracle. For the first time in years Melinda felt hate course through her body. Not someone else's hate for something or someone. This hate was her own. She claimed it as her own feeling, her own emotion.

Faith took a step away from Melinda the moment she saw the look in her eyes. Melinda looked right at her with a piercing glare that left Faith terrified. This person standing in front of her wasn't her friend. The woman that was the most forgiving and caring person she'd ever met. No, this was someone else. This was something else.

Melinda slowly made her way towards the window. She stood there for a moment looking out at the familiar neighborhood and a wicked smile crossed her lips. Her eyes slowly came alive with a color of fire red, her pupils still the same blue and green they were meant to be. Her wicked smile turned to a smirk and with just a flick of her eyes the entire window frame came off the wall and floated two stories above the ground, at least ten feet from where it was supposed to be attached to the wall.

"Melinda…." Faith said her uncertainty leaving her the moment she realized what her friend was about to do.

Melinda slowly turned her head to look at Faith. Allowing Faith to see her eyes and what they now looked like. "Stay away Faith." Melinda said, her voice having grown three octaves lower.

"I can't do that Melinda. Now tell me…what's wrong." Faith said as she took a step towards Max's desk.

The desk was the only thing between her and Melinda right now. If Melinda made a jump for it Faith knew she'd be jumping over this very desk and diving out that window to try and stop her friend from leaving. Faith was no idiot. She knew that Melinda could hurt a lot of people. Especially now that she was angry enough to try and hurt people. Faith just didn't understand why she was so angry. In Faith's opinion she should be happy that Tara was her sister. Hell she should be jumping for joy knowing that she has actually been getting to know her sister for the past few weeks.

"He did this Faith. He had Melissa take me! He made her life a living hell! He treated her like a monster!" Melinda said her voice slowly returning to her own soft and sweet voice. Even as it cracked with the amount of emotion she had coursing through her.

"Who is he?" Faith asked slowly as she started to walk around the desk.

"Her father." Melinda spat as her eyes drew brighter.

"Tara's father?" Faith asked taking another step around the desk.

"Yes." Melinda said as she watched Faith carefully.

"Why did he do what you're saving he did?" Faith asked trying to keep Melinda talking, hoping to calm her down or rationalize about this situation.

"To control her. To control my mother. To make her feel horrible about what she was. About being a witch. He treated them like monsters!" Melinda sobbed. "Like Monsters Faith! Like they weren't even human! Like…." Melinda broke down her breath hitching as she spoke. "Like they were me!"

"Melinda you're not a monster!" Faith stated as she stood by the side of the desk her eyes looking into Melinda's.

"But I'm not human either!" Melinda said as she looked down at the folder that she still held tightly.

"No you're not fully human…but…."

Melinda's eyes shot up toward Faith and the moment her eyes met Faith's the brunette went flying back towards the wall on the opposite side of the room. "You're right. I'm not fully human. I'm never going to be fully human. I shouldn't have to suffer human burdens. I'm not human." Melinda said and she smiled with the plan formulating in her head. "I'll show him what a real monster looks like. What a real monster can do." Melinda stated as she stepped backwards outside of the house walls.

As Melinda looked into Faith's eyes she disappeared and the window frame moved back to its rightful place and reconstructed itself. When Faith finally was able to move she fell to her knees and looked at the wall in front of her and saw it looked like it had never been ripped off of the house. Faith's heart raced and she took a deep breath before screaming Melinda's name.

This was not going to end good at all and Faith knew it.

TBC….

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So...how was that? The review buttons just below this message. Don't be shy, let me know what you think...please? 


	26. Part 21

**A/N:** _I'm sorry its taken me so long to update. I'm trying my best now to get as many chapters as I can done. I'm done with school and have a long 10 weeks to myself to write. So I'm going to try to enjoy the beach while keeping up with updates for this story and my others. Anyway...hope you enjoy. Please let me know what you think. As to those who have continued to stick with me through this entire story thank you SOOOOO much._

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**Part 21**

"MELINDA….!"

The scream was heard through the entire house and within moments Faith came barreling down the stairs. Max looked at Buffy. When Faith was about to run past them all, Buffy closed her eyes, made a face, and let Faith run right past her. Buffy knew there could only be one reason Faith was running out like she was. It was because she needed to be somewhere. She needed to go after Melinda, who from what Buffy could figure was no longer in the house. And was in need of help.

Faith pushed past Xander and Willow. The moment she touched the doorknob to the house she was thrown ten feet back, right into Buffy. Both slayers hit the ground and staid there for a few seconds. Faith was the first to get up and after shaking her head and apologizing she turned right back towards the door. She turned so her shoulder was in front of her and ran towards the door as fast as she could. Within a second she was flying back down the hallway once again, this time pushing Max down to the ground with her.

Faith looked at the door and watched as what looked like a ripple went from the door towards the dinning room windows. It was a ripple effect. There was a barrier. It wasn't some spell that wouldn't let Faith out, it was a barrier that could possibly be keeping them all in the house. The barrier continued its ripple effect, distributing the force Faith had pushed against it through the entire barrier to equalize it. Faith stood from the ground and saw Buffy was just getting to her feet from the first hit. Tears slowly streamed down Faith's cheeks. She needed to get out of this house. She needed to stop Melinda from doing something she'd regret.

Melinda wasn't in the right state of mind to do anything right now. She was angry and she felt betrayed and hurt. Those were feelings Faith could condone with. She knew how it felt a lot better then Melinda did and she knew how rash she had been because of it. It was just that rashness that got her into trouble. The kind of trouble Melinda was surely about to get into and Faith wasn't there to help or stop her.

Buffy looked behind Faith. She saw Max dusting off his pants. Buffy turned back to Faith and saw the desperate look in Faith's eyes and any reserve she might have had collapsed. Buffy put her arms down and turned so she was facing the door. Maybe she could pass through the barrier while Faith couldn't. Maybe Melinda had only made it to keep Faith trapped in the house, not all of them. If that were the case then she would do what Faith couldn't. Buffy stepped toward the barrier and put her hand out testing it. Her hand touched metal and Buffy smirked. Buffy turned the doorknob and opened the door.

"Its not for everyone. Its just for me." Faith stated as she watched Buffy walked right outside of the house, through the barrier they all knew was there. "Buffy…" Faith looked up into the blonde's eyes and tried to say what she needed to say.

"I know. I'll find her." Buffy said with a comforting smile as she looked at Faith. Faith didn't need to put to words what she wanted to say. It was all there in her eyes. It was always right there in her eyes. "Xander come with me. Willow stay here and try to get this barrier down."

"But Buffy…" Willow tried to protest. It was her girlfriend that was in trouble. She needed to go find her just as much as Faith needed to find Melinda.

Willow stared unknowingly at Buffy. Willow trusted Buffy with her life and she knew she could trust Buffy. It was just not that simple this time. This time it was about her girlfriend and she wanted to be the one to be by Buffy's side. She just needed to know that everything was going to be okay and if she was actually there standing besides Buffy then she'd know that everything would be okay. Staying here trying to put a barrier down by a much stronger witch then her was not where she wanted to be. But it was where she was needed so here she stood.

"Wil, you need to get the barrier down. No one else here is capable of doing that. Once you get it down phone me and we'll tell you where we are."

"I don't think you understand what's going on." Max stated as he stepped forward, standing besides Faith.

"Then enlighten us." Buffy said as Xander stepped out of the door, his eyes closed tightly as if preparing himself to fly backwards like Faith had done.

"You see…." Max started but was cut off when Faith held up her hand to him.

"Melinda's seeking revenge." Faith stated as she looked at Buffy as she shook her head.

"Against Tara?!" Willow exclaimed unsure why Melinda would ever need to exact revenge against her girlfriend. They were the best of friends, though she didn't like it, they got along great.

"No not against Tara." Faith said as she turned to Willow. "Against her father."

"Whose father?" Xander asked confused. He was almost positive Willow, Giles and Buffy had told him that Melinda technically didn't have a father.

"Faith there's really no time to play games." Buffy stated as she looked at the brunette across the threshold. Impatiently looking down the block for the first time. What she saw made her shake her head. All the cars on the block were flipped over and the fire hydrant was gushing water into the air and dogs were barking. Looked like they had the perfect big neon trail to follow while looking for Melinda.

"Tara's father. Melinda wants to seek revenge against Tara's father."

"But why?" Willow asked cutting the slayer off.

"If you'd let me finish….I'd get to that part." Faith stated as she looked at Willow.

"You really shouldn't be telling them this." Max stated.

"You should have told Melinda this the moment you recognized Tara." Faith shot back as she looked at her shared watcher. "You should have known better then to keep this from her."

"Um…I don't mean to cut in cause I love to see Max getting cut down but as you were saying…." Giles cut in as he stepped into the group. Joyce was peacefully sleeping on the couch even through all the commotion. Those pills sure did come in handy.

"Tara is Melinda's sister." Faith stated as she looked at Giles and then around the group, hearing Max sigh as he stepped back.

"Did you say sister?" Xander asked seeing, as he was the only one that seemed able to talk.

"Yes…sister. Now you two need to go. Willow you need to get this barrier down because if we don't hurry Melinda's going to kill Tara's father because he's the one that paid Melissa, the woman that kidnapped her, to take her away from her mother when she was just born." Faith said in one breath and gasped when she finished. "Now go!" Faith said as she looked at Buffy and Xander.

"Right…" Buffy said as she grabbed onto Xander's shoulder and pulled them down the stairs and made a run down the block. It looked like they were on foot chasing after the rouge Oracle. Seeing as their cars were straddling the curb and the rode on their roves.

_'Oh…yeah today was definitely turning out to be an interesting day._' Buffy thought as she ran down the block with Xander right behind her.

---------------

Back in the house Giles was still trying to take this new information in, as was Willow. Faith and Max in the meantime were sending each other glares. Max just gave Faith one last scowl and glare before dropping his head into his hands. He sat on the steps and just shook his head. Faith took a deep breath and turned toward Willow and Giles who were both looking as if they didn't know they were still standing on firm ground. This wouldn't do. They needed to get this barrier down and as fast as possible.

"Willow how do we put the barrier down?" Faith asked, as if she hadn't just delivered earth-shattering news to the group. Buffy had seemed to take it in stride but then again she was the one that needed to go find the Oracle that was now M-I-A.

Willow closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was all a lot to handle. Her girlfriend had a sister. A sister she obviously didn't know about. Willow knew about Melinda's past. Buffy had told her about it so had Tara. It seemed Buffy heard about it from Faith and Tara knew about it because Melinda confided in her. All of a sudden, the fact that Tara and Melinda hit it off so quickly after just meeting made perfect sense! Willow took a deep breath and gave Giles and Max a list of ingredients she was going to need to put the barrier down.

"Thank you." Faith said as she touched Willow's shoulder and rushed off to get the ingredients since Max seemed to be quite comfortable on the stairs at the moment.

Willow took a deep breath and turned toward the living room ready to give Dawn some thing to do while she tried to figure out how she was going to get this barrier down with the little time she had. "Dawn can you get me their magic book…." Willow stopped talking when she realized Dawn wasn't in the living room. "Dawn…" Willow called out as she walked into the dinning room and found she wasn't there.

Max lifted his head up from his hands when he heard the redheaded witch calling for Dawn. Max looked around in front of him and sure enough he didn't see the teenager either. Max stood up and stepped down from the stairs and watched as Willow rushed past him into the kitchen.

"Giles, have you seen Dawn!?" Willow asked very close to panicking.

Giles looked out from the cabinet he was told to look in to get his root of something or other. His face turned ashen at the look of worry on Willow's face and the clear distress in her eyes. He stepped immediately away from this cabinet and walked into the den where Faith was looking in a cabinet for the spell books.

"Faith…"

"Yes?" Faith asked as she looked over at Giles and Willow and felt her heart sink when she saw the looks on their faces. Faith spun around expecting to see Glory standing behind her with Buffy, Xander, Dawn or even Joyce, but there was no one there. Her heart still racing Faith turned back to Giles.

"What is it?" Faith asked her voice cracking.

"Dawn's missing." Giles stated simply as he watched Faith rush through the other door into the living room, needing to search the entire house herself before she would believe them.

---------------------------------

Dawn took a deep breath as she leaned over. Her hands on her knees as she bent over trying to catch her breath, it wasn't easy keeping up with a flying witch. Or jumping out of the way of flying cars that were being flipped over or any of the other objects and projectiles that she had to dodge while following Melinda. It had been easy to slip out of the house. Everyone seemed so fixated on getting answers out of Max that she had just slipped right out the door without anyone noticing. That could have been dangerous and as she looked around at where she was, she realized it very well could still BE dangerous. Dawn wasn't sure what she was going to do now.

It was almost sundown and she had chased after Melinda since she had flown right out of the house. Which had been wicked cool! But she wouldn't be telling her friend that anytime soon, as it seemed she was too busy looking for something or someone within the cemetery they were now in. Johnson Cemetery, the largest cemetery in Sunnydale she had no intention of thinking about how many vampires would soon be lurking around these grounds. She was too busy playing detective, or was it a P.I., really she didn't care anymore. She was too busy trying to keep an eye on Melinda, whose whole body seemed to be on fire now. Oh yeah, this wasn't good but she had no intention of leaving Melinda when she needed help. She just hoped trying to help Melinda wouldn't lead to her being killed or worse being killed and then having to continue to live while still technically being dead.

TBC…..


	27. Part 22

**A/N**: Thanks for the reviews. Hope everyone likes this update. There's not that much action but the action is coming I can promise you that. In the upcoming chapters Glory makes her reappearance and Melinda's wrath is going to be felt. (wink) Let me know what you think. Sorry if Spike's a little OOC, not used to writing for him. After all this is my first BtVS fanficion. So I'm doing my best.  
**  
mik-mik 06128**----> Melinda may just be pushed to kill someone very soon. Just not exactly the person people would think.  
**Lullut** -----> Glad that you're enjoying the story. Hope you'll continue to for the rest of the story.  
**Asnimsomneac** -----> Well they really didn't keep her in the house but Melinda sure did. (smile) **  
missingviolet** -----> Faith may get her chance to stop Melinda yet, from killing Mr. Maclay. Whose name I don't really know. But she might not be able to stop her from killing someone else.

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**Part 22  
'Emotions Run Through the Heart, and Blood'**

Dawn took a deep breath and then staid back far enough to be out of sight, but close enough to keep an eye on Melinda. Dawn looked around and tried to steady her racing heart. It was almost sundown and she was in the middle of the biggest cemetery in Sunnydale without a stake or without anyone knowing where she was. Oh yes, this very well could be dangerous. Too bad she didn't care. She was too busy following her best friend, to where she really didn't know. She just hoped it wouldn't lead to her going missing only to reappear as a vampire. Okay she'd already been over this. It was time to rush behind the next tree because Melinda was on the move again.

Dawn held her breath as she made a dash for the next tree and let it out when she had her back pressed up against the tree and didn't hear or see Melinda in front of her. So it was safe to say that Melinda didn't know she was there or that the witch was just ignoring her presence. Dawn slowly looked around the side of the tree and saw for the first time that Melinda was standing in front of one of the smaller crypts. Dawn looked around and almost rolled her eyes at not realizing that they had gone straight to Spike's crypt.

Why though? Was Spike the one Melinda was mad at? That didn't make scene, because Max had said it all had to do with Tara. So if that was true why were they here, at Spike's crypt? Dawn pulled herself back behind the tree when she noticed Melinda turning towards her. Dawn held her breath as she waited for any sign that Melinda was heading towards her. Like the ground shaking like it had before. Dawn waited for what seemed like an hour before she finally looked around the tree and with a start she realized Melinda was gone! With one last look around Dawn dashed over to Spike's crypt. Melinda had to be inside the crypt. Without even lifting her hand to the door of the crypt Spike opened it.

"Hey there nidbit." Spike greeted as he held the stone door open. "Coming in or not? Or you going to wait out there for a nasty vamp to come and eat you?" Spike asked.

Dawn noticed there was no glowing witch within the crypt and she cursed under her breath. Then realized Spike had been talking to her and after a moment stepped into Spike's homble abode. It'd be safer here with Spike then it would be out there, at night, by herself. Dawn sighed as she pulled her arms around her chest in her vain attempt to get warm. Seemed with the night came that bitter chill she wished would stay away. Spike wasn't sure what to say. He had made a promise to the Slayer, and the Oracle that he'd watch after the kid. Though he knew she wasn't a kid anymore, he still had promised but now that she was here he really didn't know what to do.

Melinda had asked him to make sure Dawn was okay. That she couldn't follow her where she was going. Spike of course had been freaked out by the fact that he heard Melinda's voice in his head. He had yelled at the witch for just entering his mind and scaring him almost to his eternal death. Spike sighed and lit up one of his cigarettes. The silence definitely wouldn't kill him, and the cigarettes wouldn't either, so he staid quiet and continue to 'inhale' the tobacco. When Spike turned to look at Dawn he saw the girl glaring at him, and he looked down at his cigarette and offered her a smoke.

"No thanks." Dawn said shaking her head as she moved around the crypt. "If I wanted to die young I would have just refused your offer and tried to get home by myself."

"Touchie…" Spike said back as he sat down. "…gettin more like that sister of yours by the day, aren't ya kid?"

"I'm not a kid!" Dawn nearly yelled back and sighed. She wasn't angry at Spike, she was angry with Melinda. Not only mad at Melinda but at herself as well. How stupid she had been to believe that her friend hadn't been able to sense her.

"No, you're not a kid." Spike said trying his best not to let his eyes look over the slayers kid sister. "Not anymore anyway."

Dawn ignored Spike for the moment, because if she actually let her mind think about him checking her out, she might actually decide to leave and get herself killed in the process. She was okay when it came to vampires, but when it came to Glory…well she was toast when it came to Glory.

"Where is she?" Dawn asked only after a few minutes of the silence.

"I'm sorry love, who?" Spike asked inwardly smirking at the frustration and anger that crossed Dawn's face. He could practically smell her blood boiling.

Dawn took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. Getting angry wouldn't help her find Melinda. Getting angry wouldn't help her get Melinda to calm down if she found her. No, when she found her. "She's in danger, Spike. If I know anything about you, its you value power. Having power…."

"Yeah so?" Spike asked interrupting. He wondered where the kid was going with this. He wondered what she meant by Melinda being in trouble. Melinda wasn't the kind of person to be in danger. She's the one to stop dangerous things from happening. Never actually being in danger herself. She was too powerful to ever be in real danger.

"Melinda has power." Dawn said only to get interrupted by Spike once again.

"Yeah, princess everyone that can sense power knows she's got enough of it to last about ten lifetimes." Spike said rolling his eyes.

"Would you let me finish?!" Dawn asked losing her patience. She wondered how on earth she could have had a crush on this man before. He was annoying and rued and stubborn. When Spike finally remained quiet Dawn continued. "If Melinda does what she's planning on doing she'll no longer be interested in keeping any demon, vampire, evil thing alive anymore." Seeing Spike didn't get it she commented. "That means you won't have your super powerful witch bodyguard anymore."

Spike's jaw tightened. He didn't need a bodyguard! He could bloody well take care of himself. Though Melinda had saved his ass far more times then Spike liked to think about. Now that he was thinking about it he did need Melinda as his bodyguard. If only to just use her name to keep the demons back, cause everyone knew he was buddies with the Slayer and her group. They just didn't think of her as big of a threat as they did Melinda.

"Kay…so what do you need from me?" Spike asked as he stood up and looked at Dawn.

"I need to know where she went!" Dawn stated as she rolled her eyes.

"Right….and you think I would know?" Spike asked giving the girl just as much attitude as he gave anyone.

"Well…..yeah." Dawn said as she stared at Spike.

"You think, she told me where she was going? All she said was she had to deal with someone. She didn't even say it even. Just burst into my mind like she owned it and…"

"Spike getting off subject." Dawn stated as she started to pace. "Seeing someone. Guy or girl? Give you any clue as to where she was going to deal with this person?" Dawn asked.

"Well…it's definitely a guy…." At Dawn's frown and questioning look Spike smiled. He could almost smell the jealousy that laced the older teens blood. 'Interesting.' Spike thought as his smile turned to a knowing smirk. "Jealous are you that she's going to see a bloke are you? Well if I didn't know any better I'd say it was just a best girlfriend thing teenage girls have these days. But I do know better and I know what's lacing your blood 'aint…."

"Enough!" Dawn said and opened her mouth to say something else put just closed it and chose to snarl at Spike.

What did he know anyway? He didn't know anything, that's what! He didn't know how she felt, cause well she didn't know how the felt. Of course she wasn't jealous! How could she be? Melinda wasn't exactly looking for a guy to go fuck. She wasn't like Faith….or the old Faith. Then why did the thought of Melinda even being with someone make her chest burn? Dawn shook her head. She didn't have time to think about this now! She needed to find Melinda and realizing Spike wasn't much help and staying here in his crypt wasn't going to help find the oracle faster she stalked toward the door. Spike calling after her and rushing after her. Complaining about needed to make sure she was safe.

"What ever Spike just don't slow me down. We'll have to start from the only place I can see to start. That's with Tara." Dawn stated as she walked at a brisk pace out of the cemetery.

"Why start with the blonde witch!?" Spike asked confused.

"The first thing Melinda said before she woke up and started flipping out was Tara's name. I think that's why she's all upset. So I figure we just need to you know find Tara and you know….it's a place to start!" Dawn said in her own defense when she saw the look she was getting from Spike.

"Whatever you say princess." Spike said as he continued to follow the youngest Summer's woman.

"Don't call me that." Dawn stated as she turned to Spike.

"What….princess? So no callin ya Kid or Princess. Feh…whatever." Spike said as he rolled his eyes.

"Right no calling me anything but maybe my name?" Dawn suggested.

"Yeah, like I'll do that." Spike puffed out with a slight chuckle. "Come on nid bit we're taking my car."

"Why not feeling in the mood to take a midnight walk with me?" Dawn asked hoping to change the mood in their conversation a little bit.

"Yeah, cause I'm lovin' your new personality…" Spike sarcastically replied as he led the kid to his car.

Dawn laughed lightly as she rolled her eyes and followed Spike. A car would help them get around faster, eliminating a lot more places in a shorter amount of time. She just hoped that going to Tara's dorm was the right place to start looking.

TBC….


	28. Part 23

**A/N**: Okay so I tried as hard as I could to find out if Mr. Maclay had a first name. That was given to him for the one episode he was in. I couldn't find one. So I made one for him. It's simple enough. I apologize if they actually did give him a first name. If anyone happens to know it please let me know what it is so I can fix it. Hope you enjoy. As for who gets killed….well I don't plan for it to be Dawn…and Max may get a beating but I don't think his life is in danger. Though in this chapter you may find out which character's life is in danger from whom Melinda is most mad at.

* * *

**Part 23**

_'The Day That Won't End'_

---------------------------------------

Buffy and Xander looked around, both panting. They had just run half way across town. They now stood on the road that would lead to the girl's dormitories. The trail of flipped over cars and broken windows as well as fire hydrants had stopped just outside Johnson cemetery. Leaving them with no trail. So not knowing exactly where Tara's father was staying, they had decided the most likely place to look for either Tara or her father would be at Tara's. That meant going to the University and the dorm rooms. That's where they were, on one of the many sidewalks that ran through the campus grounds and the one that would lead them to Tara's dorm.

"Now what?" Xander asked as they slowly walked towards the dormitories. "I mean….don't get me wrong. Love it when we charge in to save the day. You know…get all the glory for it and stuff. But what's the plan? Cause a plan's sounding good right now cause I don't think I want to be like one of those flipped cars." Xander stated in his total and complete corky Xander-ish way.

"We keep Tara's dad….um Melinda's dad…um….you know Mr. Maclay away from Melinda." Buffy said. She had no idea what the real plan was. The only thing she had been able to come up with while following Melinda's trail had been 'make sure no one gets killed'. That was all she had so far and one look at Xander's questioning look made her realize they'd need another plan. One that actually wasn't obvious.

"Okay…how do we do that when Melinda's a super hot, hot I mean as like fire kind of flaming hot, with the flames not like with the hotness of a woman but then again she has that and…." Xander saw Buffy's look and stopped doing his best imitation of Willow's babbling sessions. "You know…super powerful witch? You know like high with the mojo…do I have to remind you about those cars and fire hydrants?" Xander asked as they made it to Tara's dormitory.

Buffy just glared at Xander and he nodded his head. He knew he was being 'obvious guy' but he really had no idea how to deal with a gone evil super witch. That and the fact that he didn't have a big battle-ax to make him feel protected. Hell they didn't have any weapons. Though he really hoped they wouldn't need weapons. Cause he liked the super gone super evil super-super witch.

Xander was about to make another comment when he felt the ground under him start to shake and the dust from the ceiling above him start to fall down towards the ground. He knew….that this was either a very conveniently timed earth quake or the super witch that they had no idea how to stop or calm down had arrived. Though when both he and Buffy heard the scream coming from Tara's room it was most likely the latter of the two.

Buffy and Xander both sped off to Tara's door and swung the door open to find a scene they hadn't ever really expected. Though half of it was expected. Tara was there in the room, though she was lying in a fetal position at the foot of….

"Glory…!" Buffy almost growled as she looked up at the person standing by Tara's side.

Glory slowly sidestepped till she was standing in front of Tara's dresser. She now stood four feet away from the prone little witch on the floor to her right. "Ah…it's the slayer!" Glory said smiling. "Thought if I couldn't get to your family I'd go for the next best thing. After all she had been left all alone and crying. I just helped her forgot what made her so upset." Glory said smiling sickly sweet as she looked at Buffy.

Xander seeing a very good friend of his lying down as she was, rocking back and forth at the foot of the Big Bad they had been facing rushed over to her and did a slide that any pro baseball player would envy, to get to Tara's side. Letting Buffy deal with Glory.

"What did you do to her!?" Xander yelled as he turned to look at the hell god that stood to his right. Tara was rocking back and forth, tears streaming down her face as she said word after word that made no sense. She was also gripping at her hair. Pulling at the long blonde tresses as if she were trying to pull them from her head.

"I just helped her forget." Glory said sweetly as she looked over at Xander still smiling. "You took my Key so I took her sanity. Seems like a fair trade to me."

Buffy clenched her fists and before she even knew what she was doing she rushed Glory. Trying in vain to land some kind of hit. Glory had gone after one of her friends. The only one that had never judged her or anyone! Buffy smiled when her fist finally connected with Glory's jaw and her smile grew as she watched Glory fly out the hole in the wall she had created. A hole that Buffy hadn't even realized had been there until Glory flew out of it instead of hitting the wall that had once been there.

Buffy was about to follow after Glory and continue her beating but the fact that Glory could kill her with a flick of her wrist came crashing down on her plans. So knowing when to quite while ahead, she turned toward Xander and Tara.

"Lets go….we need to get out of here before…" Buffy never finished. She was grabbed by her shoulders and thrown out the same wall she had hit Glory out of by the same hell god.

Buffy groaned as her flight stopped when her back slammed into a tree. Buffy slid down the trunk and hit the ground and just as she did she felt a hand grasp onto the color of her shirt and lift her up into the air. Doing what she did best Buffy fought back. She landed a kick to the hell god's rib cage. The ditzy blonde god let her go and once her feet touched the ground one of them was up in the air again landing another kick to the god's side. Glory stumbled but only a little, giving Buffy just enough room to turn her back on the god and make a run for it. Buffy noticed Xander was carrying Tara bridal style out of the aperture in her dorm and was moving as fast as he could towards the main road. It would have helped them if they actually had come in a car. Much easier way to get away from the Big Bad's you just can't beat on your own.

Buffy made it to Xander in almost a second and wondered why he was running so slow. He was in shape, true they had just run a couple miles and now he had a burden but he could run faster then this. That's when Buffy realized Tara was actually clawing at Xander's face and struggling in his arms. It was like she didn't know who he was. That's right, she didn't because Glory took her memory…her sanity. This was definitely something Buffy did not look forward to explaining to Willow.

Buffy realizing Xander wouldn't be able to handle this much longer, she grabbed Tara out of Xander's arms, threw the thrashing blonde over her shoulder and continued to run. Xander sighed when Tara was taken from him, he knew he had been on the verge of dropping the squirming witch. Xander looked behind him, seeing if they were being chased after, and to his great relief he didn't see any blonde hell gods running after them. But he did see two angry men and a woman chasing after them.

"Uh…Buf…I think we're about to have an encounter with Tara's family." Xander said as he looked at Buffy and then looked behind him. Xander looked between Buffy and the two very angry looking men storming towards them. Though that's not really what he was worried about. He was worried about the glowing red Oracle that was slowly making her way towards them as well.

Buffy chanced a look over the shoulder Tara wasn't thrown over and saw the three perusing humans. She also noticed Glory was nowhere to be seen. That's not the only thing she noticed behind them. Buffy cursed inwardly. This was certainly not something she could deal with now. First a hell god, finding her friend locked deep within her own mind and dealing with insanity and NOW she'd have to deal with an enraged father. Not to mention an enraged all-powerful Oracle, who was only a few paces behind the angry father. Yeah…tonight was definitely not going to end well.

"What is going on here!?" Buffy heard yelled. Buffy stopped running.

The last thing they needed was for Tara's family to call the police on them. They didn't have the time to deal with them. They had to help Tara. Who at the moment actually bit into Buffy's shoulder! Buffy flinched and involuntarily she let the blonde fall to the ground and reached to her now injured shoulder.

"Tara you bit me!?" Buffy whisper yelled as she pulled her hand away from her shoulder and was shocked to see blood. Buffy turned her head to look at her shoulder and pulled the top of her shirt up and noticed that it had been bit through. Damn….the blonde witch had some sharp teeth.

Xander turned his head towards Buffy when he heard her gasp in pain and he kneeled down next to Tara when the blonde fell out of Buffy's arms. Xander clenched his right fist until his knuckles went white. Tara was crying. She was crying and apologizing over and over again while rocking back and forth. Glory had done this. She was responsible for his friend being like this.

"It's going to be okay Tara. It was an accident." Buffy said as she kneeled down next to the blonde witch. Buffy wasn't really sure how to deal with this kind of thing, and as she touched Tara's shoulder in what was meant to be a comforting gesture, it lacked comfort. It held with it instead an awkward and uneasy feeling. Either way it seemed Tara didn't know the difference because it was still a gentle touch and she leaned into Buffy's arms and continued to cry.

That's how Robert Maclay found them. His daughter wrapped in the arms of another blonde. He noticed tears streaming down Tara's face and also noticed the blood that was slowly seeping into the top of the blonde woman's shirt around her shoulder. That wasn't all he noticed. Though when she did notice the blood drop slowly dripping down his daughters chin he smiled inwardly. It seemed the demon in her had finally come out. Then why was this woman still holding her, he wondered.

"I see it's finally happened." Mr. Maclay spoke as he looked down at his daughter and her friends with a smug look of indifference.

"What's happened?" Buffy asked completely confused.

"The demon in her has finally surfaced. I warned her about this." Mr. Maclay stated with a shake of his head.

"Demon!? You think Tara's a demon!?" Xander asked and laughed.

"This is no laughing matter." Beth said astonished that these people were actually laughing about this. "She's an evil demon. Just like her mother!"

Xander looked up at Mr. Maclay and was astonished at the lack of any love on this man's face. All it showed was this disgusted yet satisfied look. His eyes showing the same and Xander wondered how on earth he could be related to Tara in any way shape or form. He didn't even want to get started on the woman and younger man standing beside Tara's father.

_'Bastard_!' Xander thought as he turned away from him not really wanting to give him the time of day. Time of day….or in this case night. "Buffy we have to get out of here. Sundown and we don't have any stakes." Xander said as he looked at Buffy and watched as she nodded. 

Just as Buffy stood to get up they heard the voice of a woman they really didn't want to deal with right now. Especially now that they really had no explanation as to what happened to her sister.

"What happened!?" Melinda shrieked as she rushed over to Buffy. Xander was standing at her side helping her keep Tara up on her feet and away from the man in front of them.

Melinda had arrived only a few moments ago. She had led Dawn to Spike's crypt in hopes that Spike would keep Dawn occupied while she dealt with her family issues. She had been heading to where she knew Mr. Robert Maclay was staying when she felt Tara's fear. It wasn't like it had been before. It was new and it had toppled her over just like the last time. Melinda hadn't known what to expect when she reached Tara's dorm but she could safely say she hadn't expected to find the wall missing.

Melinda had stepped through the now large orifice in wall and saw Glory standing by a tree. She knew then that the hell bitch had been responsible for whatever happened to her sister. Melinda had taken only one step toward the hell god and she had disappeared. Not really dwelling on Glory, Melinda made her way over to where she saw the object of her rage and the object of a fear that was not her own. Melinda had made it to the small group just as Tara's father made his smart-ass comment. Melinda had ignored him for now. She'd have time to deal with him after she helped Tara.

Mr. Maclay was genuinely surprised when he was shoved out of the way of by the woman Tara had introduced him to earlier that day. She seemed somehow different this time. As he pulled on his jacket collar to and straightened himself out he stared at the scene in front of him. His son's voice just reaching his ears.

"Are you gonna let her treat you like that pa?" Donny asked as he glared at the young woman that had just shoved his father aside.

"Oh, if he knows what's good for him he'll let me treat him whatever way I wish!" Melinda stated as she turned to glare at her brother, her eyes a dark shade of red.

Both Donny and Mr. Maclay stepped back immediately when they saw this and remained quiet. Melinda turned back to Tara. The first thing she noticed was how Tara's thought patterns were far too random. They held no order whatsoever. It was as if she were lost within her own mind.

"Buffy…." Melinda asked slowly the red aura that had surrounded her before slowly returning. "…tell me what happened!" Melinda demanded. As if Buffy actually held the answers she was looking for. The ones she couldn't find with Tara. "Her minds…its out of control. Like a hurricane just blew through it and she can't seem to put anything back into order!"

Buffy watched as Melinda's aura reappeared and immediately felt her body's temperature rise. The aura was actually giving off heat. Talk about smoke coming out of the ears….try actually fires heat coming out of every inch of the body. "We got here too late. Glory stole her memories." Buffy stated hoping if she could draw some time Melinda might actually calm down.

"She didn't steal her memories. She knows who we are. She just doesn't know how she knows who we are." Melinda stated matter of factly.

"What do you mean someone stole her memories?" Mr. Maclay asked but his question was ignored as was his presence as Melinda continued.

"She knows us…but she's unable to access any part of her brain, or memories that would tell her how she does know us." Melinda said her anger doubling as she realized what had been forced upon her sister.

Tara stared at Melinda, as if she wasn't even looking at something solid. All she saw was color and she reached out for it. Buffy and Xander were surprised when the aura immediately changed the second Tara's fingers touched it. The color was a light blue and they could barely see it. They realized the only way they could see it was because it was slowly gliding across and around Tara's hand. Causing streams of the aura to ripple farther out, revealing it still was formed around Melinda's body.

"Pretty colors…" Tara whispered softly, looking as if she were daydreaming.

Melinda couldn't help the tear that fell from her eyes. "What did she do to you?" Melinda asked softly as she took hold of Tara's hand. She felt as if she were the one lost when she touched Tara's hand. Unwillingly more tears fell. "Why didn't you stay?" Melinda asked softly, knowing she wouldn't get any kind of answer to her actually question.

"Look we need to get out of here….now. Before the cops show up…cause I mean no one can kind of miss the large hole in…" Xander stopped talking as he watched the rubble that had surrounded the campus lift off the ground and move back to form the missing section of the wall. "…I take that back. It's not there anymore."

Buffy looked around and noticed that Xander was right. Even if the hole was fixed now they had already drawn a small crowd that was slowly growing. "Xander's right. We can't help her here anyway. Come on we'll go to the Magic Shop. We'll call the gang and we'll find a way to help her." Buffy said as she put her hand on Melinda's shoulder.

Melinda looked up into Buffy's eyes and nodded her head slowly. "Alright. Take my hand I'll…"

"No! No transporting. Not right now. We have an audience." Buffy said as she nudged her head in the direction of the college students and professors that were slowly making their way towards them.

"Fine…but she won't be able to make that trip." Melinda stated and turned her eyes back to Tara. "Tara…." Tara slowly looked up to meet Melinda's eyes. "….that's it. Look into my eyes…." Melinda said slowly and just as she finished her sentence Tara fell into Buffy and Xander's arms. Melinda stepped forward and lifted Tara into her arms, bridal style, and held her head against her shoulder. "Lets go then…we need to find out how to fix this."

"Alright…come on Xander." Buffy said as she swatted at Xander's arms.

The group was about to walk away when Melinda's shoulder was grabbed. Melinda had to hold herself back from sending the man that was holding her shoulder fifty feet into the air in the opposite direction.

"Where do you think you're taking my daughter!?" Mr. Maclay said actually sounding threatening. Well it might have sounded threatening to anyone else, but to Melinda it was just an annoying buzzing noise that happened to be the old man's voice.

Buffy and Xander decided to step in before Melinda would. Buffy grabbed a hold of Mr. Maclay's wrist and squeezed tight enough to make Mr. Maclay wince and release his grip on Melinda's shoulder.

"Don't touch her." Buffy stated, her own voice menacing as she glared at the older man.

"Unhand him you demon bitch!" Donny yelled as he took a swing at Buffy. Buffy easily moved her head to the left, allowing the fist to pass right by her cheek, while her free hand easily made an upward jab right into Donny's stomach. Buffy then let go of Mr. Maclay's hand and stepped back up to flank Melinda and Xander's right.

Donny fell to his knees, his breath knocked right out of his lungs. Beth seeing this rushed over and fell to her knees to help her cousin, but he pushed her hands away from him as he coughed.

"It figures that she would find disgusting demons to be her friends!" Beth spat as she looked at the three standing in front of her, one of which was holding her 'beloved' cousin.

"Oh honey….you aint seen a demon if ya think these four are 'evil demons'." Spike said as he laughed and walked up behind Beth. "Hey there slayer….what happened to the witch?" Spike asked just as Dawn pulled the car up to the road directly behind half the new Scooby gang.

Buffy and Xander both turned and stepped over to the car, thankful that they now had a way to get to the Magic Box faster. Buffy was also worried that Glory might make a reappearance the moment she saw Dawn, even though she had no idea Dawn was the Key.

Melinda rolled her eyes when she saw Dawn pull up in Spike's car behind her. "Seems like you can't do what you're told." Melinda commented as she looked at Spike.

Spike just smirked. "Never was good at doing what I was told."

"Come on…we need to get to the Magic Box." Melinda said as she turned and walked to the car, leaving the Maclay clan where they were.

"I recommend stayin' far away from that one mates. She aint a big fan. Besides….you mess with her you mess with me." Spike said, his game face slipping into place as he stared at the three Maclay's. He growled at them and watched as they all gasped and leaned away from him. He smiled, let his game face slip away before walking after Melinda.

The moment everyone was in the car Melinda sighed and let Dawn drive away. It was far too cramped. Even with Tara lying across Buffy, Xander and her own lap in the back of Spike's car.

"You are in so much trouble when we get out of this car." Dawn stated as she looked in the mirror at Melinda.

"Now what did I do?" Xander asked whining.

"She wasn't talking about you buffoon." Spike said as he rolled his eyes.

"Oh…hey!" Xander exclaimed as he glared at the back of Spike's head.

"I am in trouble. But I refuse to be in trouble by you." Melinda stated as she looked at Dawn. "Are we outside of campus grounds?" Melinda asked.

"Yes…." Dawn answered. "…and what do you mean you refuse to be in trouble by me, huh?"

Melinda shook her head. "I don't have time for this. Buffy and Xander grab onto my shoulders. Dawn…Spike get to the Magic Box as fast as you can." Melinda said and within a blink of an eye the four that had occupied the back seat were gone.

"Well that's sure one hell of a way to travel." Spike said with a smirk.

Dawn for the first time that day had to agree with Spike. That teleporting was sure a fancy way to travel. It just sucked that Melinda was the only one that knew how to do it.

TBC….


	29. Part 24

**Disclaimer:** Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, UPN and WB Television Networks own the television shows, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel". No money is being earned off of this story. Just looking for some feedback and hope others enjoy reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing.

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A/N: Okay...for this chapter there will be mentions of the original prophocy that I wrote for this story. Yes the prophocy sucks...but its all I could come up with and it is going to be mentioned once again. Its going to be underlined and in italics. Italics are once agian thoughts. Just so you know when you see it...that's what it is. Sorry for the udpate taking so long. No excuse. Just hoping you'll continue to read the story and let me know what you think about it.

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**Part 24** 'The Connection' 

Faith couldn't take this much longer. Giles and Willow had been working on bringing down the barrier for the past hour! It had been an hour since Melinda left. A whole sixty minutes and counting! Faith hadn't realized until this moment how claustrophobic she could actually be. It was as if the living room walls were closing in tempo with the ticking of the clock. Faith needed to get out of this house! Pacing back and forth in front of the coffee table wasn't doing her any good anymore. Before it had kept her calm….kept her doing something while Giles and Willow did their chanting and their mixing and calling on spirits and all that crap. Now…it was becoming a nuisance to everyone including herself.

"By god if you don't stop pacing I'm going to use the same pressure points I used on Xander on you!" Max stated as he abruptly stood from the couch and glared at Faith.

"There's no need to yell." Joyce said as she brought her hand up to her head and tilted it to look up at Max. "Now please…Faith please sit down. You're starting to make me dizzy." Joyce said her head now resting in her up turned palms.

Faith looked down as if ashamed. "Sorry Mrs. S." Faith whispered softly as she sat down in the armchair across from the couch that Max and Joyce both were residing on.

"It's alright. I understand why you feel the need to pace. If I could stomach it I would be doing just that." Joyce admitted. She looked up at Faith happy to find she was sitting, although she wasn't sitting **still**…at least she was sitting.

"It's going to be okay Mrs. S." Faith said as she nodded her head. Her leg bouncing up and down as her hands clenched and unclenched around the arms of the chair she was sitting on. "It will be. Dawn's not in any danger."

"Yes, and how is it you know that?" Joyce asked forcefully. When Joyce saw the sad expression and look in Faith's eyes she knew she had come on a little too strong. It wasn't her fault by any means. She had a right to be worried and angry that she could do nothing but sit around and wait. While both her daughters were in danger. One from a hell god, which she had been informed, was a hell god only just today. The other in danger of getting killed and/or tortured by a hell bent super witch bent on killing something.

"No matter how angry or hurt Melinda was, she wouldn't let anything happen to Dawn or any of us." Faith said her eyes showing how confidant she was in her words, trust and faith in her friend.

"Then why are you so worried?" Joyce asked listless.

"Because I'm not there." Faith answered truthfully. "Because I promised I would take care of her. I ruined our friendship back the last time I was here in Sunny D. I told her I was different. I haven't….I haven't proved that to her or anyone else."

"Faith that's not true." Max and Joyce both stated.

"Isn't it? I understand that trust needs to be built. It's built on actions and the few people I want that trust from can't give it to me. She has….trust and faith in me. I promised to protect her and right now the one time I'm most needed to protect her I'm not there."

"Faith no one or thing can hurt her." Max said shaking his head at the girl in front of him. "You of all people should…"

Faith turned and glared at Max. "Me of all people know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm not talking about some demon, vampire, or hell spawn. I'm talking about the one thing that can hurt her!" Faith said as she stood up her eyes fixated on Max and her fists clenched tightly.

Joyce looked between Max and Faith and wondered what it was she was missing. When Joyce noticed how Faith's jaw and fists were clenched she knew it immediately. Today, she noted it took her far too long to realize this. Then again she did only just have brain surgery less then a week ago. Joyce nodded her head.

"The one thing that can hurt her is herself." Joyce paused as she watched Faith some what relax and turn to her, her eyes far less intimidating as they had been while glaring at Max. "Isn't it? That's why you're so afraid."

At Faith's nod Joyce wondered where the mucho, tough, leather…well scratch that Faith was still wearing leather….rouge teenager had gone and when this young woman had finally arrived. Still just as tough around the edges when she wanted to be, but when opened up as soft and tender as a lovers caress.

"I think we've got it." Giles energetic fact rushed through the room breaking the uncomfortable silence that had settled.

"Great…lets get the fuck out of here." Joyce cleared her throat and Faith scrunched up her face as she stopped mid step. "Um….lets get the heck out of here?" Faith asked as she turned her head slowly to look at Mrs. S, the one woman that could ever actually frighten her more then Melinda when she was being reprimanded.

"Much better…." Joyce said smiling. She wondered how much longer she was going to get away with doing that with Faith. She still got away with doing it with her own daughters, but they were her daughters so she'd get away with that for the rest of their lives. It was just with Faith that whole lives thing didn't necessarily count or take affect. Joyce shook her head, she'd think about this later. When her mind wasn't needed to concentrate on the solved problem and the bigger problems that were headed their way.

The moment Willow was about to start the spell, the stragglers of the Scooby gang huddled behind her, Faith fell to her knees. Joyce and Max both tried to rush to her aid. Max was the only one to reach the falling woman. While Giles was graced with the sight and weight of one Joyce Summers as her recuperating body gave way under the sudden movement she tried to make. Max on the other hand was now kneeling behind Faith, keeping the weight she distributed to him up with his own as Faith pushed her palm her right temple. Willow who thinking all the thumps she heard were due to a mistake she made in the spell stopped. That's why when the barrier fizzled and died away she had no idea what was happening.

"Ahh…well good news…" Willow said as she turned towards her now four grounded companions. "…the barriers down. Bad news…I don't think I did it." Willow said with a small smile.

"You didn't." Faith stated bluntly as she leaned forward and away from Max her free hand now taking on the brunt of her weight.

"Okay then…wanna shed some light on who did?" Willow asked as she looked down at the bent over slayer.

"Melinda did."

"Ahh well then don't mind me asking but if she's the one that put it up in the first place why is she taking it down? Unless she's finished what she wanted to do and no longer needs to keep you here, which means Tara's father's dead and she's a murderer and…"

"Do you do that all the time…or only in my presence?" Max asked as he looked up at Willow, succeeding in getting her to stop rambling on and on in one breath.

"She didn't." Faith said groaning as she pushed her palm harder against her temple.

"What is it she did then?" Max asked as he looked at the back of Faith's head.

"She ran into Buffy and Xander."

"Well that's good." Giles and Max stated nodding their heads.

"Also Spike and Dawn." Joyce hearing this sighed in relief, Dawn was safe and so was Buffy.

Faith groaned again and held her eyes closed tightly as tried to dig her nails into the wooden floor beneath her. Something was terribly wrong. Melinda was just as angry as she was before but now she was scared and felt guilty. Faith waited, that was all she could do. She wasn't the one that controlled this link it was Melinda. Melinda had called upon this link to get her attention, to tell her exactly what was going on. So from what she understood Melinda had found Tara's father, as well as Glory, Buffy and the rest of the gang including Tara. That's where everything became so unclear. All Faith was getting was _'I'm so sorry, so so sorry'_, from Melinda. That it was her fault, but not what was wrong with Tara. Hell she didn't even know if Tara was…she took that back. Tara was hurt but it's the injury she received that had Melinda so scared.

'_What happened to her?'_ Faith asked gritting her teeth when another wave of pure unadulterated rage washed over her through the link Melinda had made between them.

'_Glory attached her_…' Melinda answered. _'Please…you have to come help me. I don't know what to do…this is all my fault Faith, its my fault!'_

Faith felt something touch her arm and slowly start to slide down it. When she opened her eyes she was shocked to find she was openly and silently weeping. Faith pulled herself up and kneeled on both her legs and wrapped her arms around her stomach. She felt so sick, so sad and so angry. It was slowly getting hard to realize that these weren't her feelings but Melinda's.

"Faith…are you alright?" Willow asked when she noticed the tears and the way Faith was hugging herself. So not the vision of Faith Willow had ever imagined she was see…though that's not to say she imagined seeing Faith at all…like anything. Because she didn't!

"Where are you?" Faith asked aloud, unaware she had done so.

'_We're at the magic box. Please….you have to come. I don't know what to do! I can't….I can't deal with this…I don't know how to deal with this. I need help. Please come help me Faith, please.'_ Melinda begged.

'_Okay….Melinda you need to calm down.'_ Faith stated as she herself tried to regain control of herself and calm her own shaking body down.

'_I can't…'_ Faith knew that Melinda was in tears…that's the only reason she was in tears, and knowing this cause Faith's heart to clench just that much tighter.

'_Yes you can. Just take deep breaths…calm down. Just a little. You need to tell me whats the what. You need to tell me that so I can help you.'_ Faith said through the link, one she wished she'd never have to experience again.

'_That hell bitch took Tara's sanity. Like she's done with the others.'_ Faith heard whispered to her as if Melinda were sitting right next to her. Faith hugged herself a little tighter, wishing she could just hold her friend and make this all go away. Because right now the rage that was making her own blood boil and her heart race was starting to get to her.

'_Right I remember reading about that…in one of those books that are all about you and The Key.'_ Faith said as she herself thought about what she remembered from the passage itself.

'_The Oracle will bring light to those who are hidden in darkness__' _Melinda's voice recited. Slowly the anger and the tears that subsided as Faith took up the next line of the prophecy.

"She shall free them from their sadness which was forced upon them by an almighty force just as strong as her" Faith spoke aloud, three in the room with her confused with what she was saying but one knew what this meant.

'_The Oracle holds the power to tame the power of that who unlocks the doors. __Only when __**they**__ touch shall the darkness that Hell spread be vanquished and Glory shall be theirs'_Melinda finished and took a deep breath._ 'That's it! That's how to help Tara. Faith I need all the books. All the ones that we have. Bring them to the magic shop quickly. I know what I have to do!'_

'_How are you going to do anything without the Key?' _Faith asked sighing when she realized they couldn't do anything without the Key.

'_I know where the Key is. I have the Key here with me in the Magic Shop. Just hurry Faith!' _Melinda demanded.

"We'll be there soon." Faith said and closed her eyes as she hugged herself a little harder. God if this was just a small inkling of how Melinda felt Faith knew they were in for a very long night. Faith knew the moment the link was broken, it was when she could finally control her tears and the pain her stomach subsided. Seemed she now had the same sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that Melinda has.

"Faith…?" Max asked carefully, knowing by the way the girl was slowly calming down that whatever link, that Melinda had made with her was terminated.

"Get the books Max. All of them. Each and every one of them on The Key, The Beast and The Oracle." Faith said, her tone slightly hoarse but held no room to be questioned, but Max still tried. After all he was supposed to be **her** watcher not the other way around. He was supposed to tell her what to do.

"Faith those books are…" Max started but was stopped when Faith had spun around and jumped to her feet and had done so all within the time his eyes closed as he blinked. It caused him to jump back slightly, away from the face that was mere inches away from his own. Though that wasn't what scared him, not that he would admit to being scared. It wasn't her speed, he knew she was fast it wasn't even the scowl on her face. No, it was her eyes. The same eyes that Melinda had said could be used to read Faith's emotions even when she didn't show them on the outside. They showed him exactly what she was feeling and they told him to do exactly as she said or he'd be in a whole lot of pain.

"Those books are needed!" Faith said firmly. "There's no point in hiding who and what Melinda is anymore. She knows where the Key is. She's known for a long time now. What she needs right now is a way to help her sister! She needs to know what those books say can be done with the help of The Key!" Faith said and watched as Max just nodded in no position to argue with her he realized.

"You know where the Key is?" Giles asked fear finally registering, Dawn may be in real danger now that Faith and Melinda knew where to find her.

Though it confused him, not that they knew…it could be obvious for Melinda to find the key with all the magic being used to protect her and hide her identity. No that wasn't what confused him, what confused him was what Faith had recited. It was a prophecy that all watchers were told when they were sent to their potential or slayer. It was that of The Oracle, the strongest and most powerful Oracle the worlds ever seen. It was only now after hearing it again that he put the pieces together. The prophecy wasn't only for the Oracle, it was for the Key as well.

"That who unlocks the doors. Why hadn't I seen this before!?" Giles asked berating himself.

"I don't know mate, it was bloody obvious from the moment we told you Melinda was an oracle." Max said as he came back to the hallway with about six large texts in his arms.

"You didn't tell me she was the Oracle!" Giles tried to defend himself.

"Look G-man right now we have no time to think about this shit." Faith said as she took hold of three of the books Max was carrying and moved to the door. "No time at all. We have to get to the Magic Shop and quick. Tara's in deep shit right now and we need to get these books to Melinda immediately!" Faith said as she rushed out of the house toward the car.

Willow who had stepped aside to let Faith through finally spoke when she heard Faith mention Tara being in deep shit. Willow rushed out the door screaming "What do you mean Tara's in deep shit!?"

Joyce was helped by Giles to the car and the group still asking Faith questions even as they pulled out of the driveway were on their way to the Magic Shop….unaware to the spying and prying eyes and ears that had been listening and witnessing the entire encounter from the very beginning.

Murk smiled evilly as he stepped out of the closet. "Glorificious will be much pleased to hear about this." The lackey laughed heartedly as he made his way out of the house.

TBC…..


	30. Part 25

**A/N**: Okay so once again update didn't come when I wanted it to. I guess this large break between updates can be expected for the rest of the story. Most likely maybe two chapters a month at this rate. I hope you'll continue to read and let me know what you're thinking about the story.

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**Part 25**

_'Laughter's Uncontrollable Spell' Or 'When The Wall Comes Down'_

--------**Magic Box**-------

Xander and Spike sat at the round table watching as Melinda walked back and forth. Not that Melinda pacing was very special. It just happened to be the fact that she wasn't touching the ground, yet she was walking back and forth. It had freaked them both out a little too much, and they both had to take a seat. Melinda was still glowing a deep red and her eyes were changing colors rapidly. Dawn was in the corner with Tara trying to calm her down. After they had magically appeared in the Magic Box Tara had lost whatever self control that she had before and started screaming, pulling at her own hair and crying hysterically. The minute that Spike and Dawn had appeared through the door Tara had rushed over to Dawn and hid behind her. Tara now refused to let anyone but Dawn or Spike near her. If anyone did she'd start screaming again. So Buffy and Xander staid away from her while Melinda stood three feet above the ground, pacing.

Anya had been rather surprised when the group had suddenly appeared out of thin air and had covered her ears when Tara started to scream. Xander had explained to her what was going on and what they believed had happened to Tara. Anya nodded and tried very hard not to go near Tara, because the girl didn't seem to want her near her anymore then she wanted Buffy or Xander near her. Anya in the meanwhile had closed down the shop, which had surprised everyone, mostly because they hadn't asked her to close the shop, and it wasn't due to close for another hour. Now Anya was walking around the shop, looking as if she were tidying up the place and that didn't surprise anyone. Everyone else just sat around unsure what to do. Melinda hadn't said a word to them since they had arrived, though the tears that were streaming down her face gave away a lot.

"Alright….we can't just sit here." Buffy said as she stood up and took charge, which was something she was good at.

"Right but what are we supposed to do?" Xander asked as he looked up at Buffy, finally taking his eyes away from Tara.

"Well we're in a magic shop. I'm sure there's something here that can help…" Buffy said as she looked around.

"Yeah well….sorry to bust whatever kind of bubble you were building here love but none of us really know what we'd need to look for. Cause lets face it the book worms that we know aren't here and the only witch strong enough to do anything is too busy pacing around above ground." Spike said as he stood up, keeping up his claim of being the pessimist of the group. Though his real angle for saying this was to try and snap Melinda out of whatever kind of funk she was in right now. Usually with the blonde it was easy to get her angry, and once she was angry at you she put her attention on you, and when you had her attention you could tell her anything you needed to. Only problem is, it didn't work. Melinda just continued to pace back and forth, tears falling, and her eyes continuing to change into the rainbow.

Anya pushed past Buffy and mumbled the work humans before dropping several books onto the table that the group surrounded.

"Here's all the books that mention Glory." Anya stated as she stepped away from the table and left the group standing there with their mouths open. "Well don't just stand there get to reading. I have about ten more books coming your way." Anya said when she was halfway up the latter to where Giles kept his private collection of books.

"Did she just…" Buffy stated as she threw her thumb in Anya's general direction, unable to actually finish whatever statement she was about to comment on.

"Yeah she did." Spike commented as Xander just nodded his head, his mouth still slightly open. "Well…lets get to the reading thing that you folks are always doing." Spike said as he waved his hand at the table and sat back down taking a book and opening it.

"Don't bother." Melinda spoke up as she easily descended to the floor. The aura that had been flowing around her for the past few hours had faded. The only indication that she was still raging was the color of her eyes. They continued glow, but this glow was dull and only really gave the appearance that her eyes were sparkling.

"What do you mean don't bother? We have to do something!" Xander exclaimed at Melinda, for once in the past few hours unfettered by the power he knew she possessed.

"Those books won't do you any good." Melinda said simply as she walked over to the table and picked up one book.

The pages of the book flipped at an alarming rate and when the back cover of the book slammed the book shut she put the book down and looked over at the group of people standing around the table. They really were only trying to help, doing what they only knew how to do to try and help. She couldn't blame them for not knowing she had the real versions, the original first editions of these books. The editions where the information isn't clouded over with butterflies and gumdrop happy endings, no she had the real editions; the ones that actually mentioned her and the Key. Thinking about the Key…Melinda turned around and looked across the room where Dawn sat with Tara practically lying in her lap. Melinda watched as Dawn ran her hand through Tara's hair and whispered soothing words into the skittish blonde witch and felt her heart flutter.

'_Not now! I can't think about this now, can't feel this now. I need to focus. Focusing will help me save Tara. Focusing on my feelings for Dawn will not help if I have to…lets not go there yet.'_ Melinda thought as she looked down averting her gaze from meeting Dawn's for as long as possible.

"So what do you want us to do? Sit here and do nothing? Or would you like us to join in you floating above the ground and leave everything left on the ground to be dealt with by someone else?" Xander asked, his voice hard and his eyes cold. One of his friends was in deep shit and for once there really seemed like there was nothing they could do, and here was most likely the one person that could help and she was telling them there was no hope. And now she was ignoring him, her eyes fixated solely on Dawn.

Dawn looked up when she realized she was being watched. She was pleasantly surprised to see Melinda standing across the room looking at her. What was pleasantly surprising was Melinda was no longer surrounded by an aura of blood red. Dawn met Melinda's eyes and when she did she realized that the turmoil that had been clearly seen with her aura had moved to her eyes. Even if they were no longer changing colors and you could actually make out her pupils, she could tell. It was odd how she had come to read Melinda better then she thought was possible only after two months of knowing her. Then again, nothing should surprise her anymore. Not when living in Sunnydale. Dawn smiled slightly at Melinda but turned her attention back to Tara when she stirred slightly.

Melinda sighed when Dawn turned away from her. This was it she could feel it. This was the day when everything went down, and it scared her. It actually scared her to know that her visions, all of them were about to come true, today of all days. Then again the Fates had an odd way about doing everything. How ironic it was that the one-day she loses control of her emotions, her powers, is the day that she'll be forced to use every ounce of her power and strength to save the ones she loved most. That today was the day that she had to choose who lived or died. That today of all days, the day she realized she had a family member that could accept her, and she realized she was in love, was the day that she had to decide whether Buffy, Dawn or Faith lived.

Melinda started to laugh out loud at the irony. Everyone turned to her and realized that she had finally lost it. More so then when she had lost it with her powers and her emotions. No this time she had lost her sanity, they were almost positive. What they were really unaware of was that Melinda had lost it. Just not in the sense they were thinking of. She'd lost it, yes, but it wasn't her mind and it wasn't her emotions, it was her control. She had finally lost the wall that she had built to help her reign in her power. The wall that had helped her control her power and let the amounts she needed seep threw when needed, it collapsed, and with it gone it was only a matter of moments.

The sound of the bell ringing as people came in was the only other sound in the room besides Melinda's laughter. That was until the people that had just walked in made their presence known.

"What'd we miss?" Faith asked as she walked in with a handful of books in her arms. Willow was right behind her, and when the red headed witch saw Tara in the corner of the room in Dawn's arms she threw her books into Faith's arms and rushed over to her girlfriend. Ignoring the almost manic laughter that filled the room. It seemed that she was really the only one able to ignore the laughter because as soon as Max had walked into the shop he looked right at his charge and stepped up to the stairs separating the two floors of the shop.

"What's so bleedin' funny?" Max asked forcefully as he looked at Melinda. The young woman just continued to laugh, actually doubling over as she wrapped her arms around her stomach.

"Is it possible she's picking up on witch number two's feelings?" Spike asked as he nodded his head over towards Tara who was now in Willow's arms, with Willow whispering soothing words into her ear.

Xander shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know!"

"Melinda…what is so god damn funny?!" Buffy stepped closer to the witch and went to touch her shoulder but before her hand even made contact with the blonde's shoulder, it was moved away from her and the laughter continued.

Dawn stood up and moved over to the rest of the group that had just walked in. "Dawn…oh thank god you're alright." Joyce said as she wrapped her arms around Dawn the moment her daughter was close enough for her to do so.

"I'm fine mom. Its Tara I'm worried about. Faith those books you have, do they contain anything that could help Tara? Maybe something to help us bring her sanity back?" Dawn asked as she looked over at the slightly older woman. She was ignored.

Faith's attention was too fixated on Melinda and her laughter. It was almost like the sound of it was hypnotizing because everyone had fallen quite again and no one was moving. Actually…as Dawn looked around she saw no one else was literally moving. Dawn looked up at her mother and saw that she was just staring in Melinda's direction, her eyes unblinking as she did so. Giles' hand was halfway to Joyce's shoulder and his mouth was open as if he was going to say something, but had stopped moving. There was no sound, except Melinda's laughter. Dawn turned around as if in slow motion, actually finding it hard to move. As if gravity itself was stopping her from moving. Dawn walked over to the stairs where Max was standing, one leg halfway to the next step to get to the landing, unmoving as he looked at Melinda. He too wasn't blinking, Xander wasn't blinking either, neither was Spike. Everyone was completely still. It didn't even look as if they were breathing, except her and Melinda.

Melinda's shoulder continued to shake and jiggle as she laughed. It almost looked like she was sobbing from where she was standing. Dawn really didn't think about why she was the only one unaffected by this…she didn't even know what _this_ was. All she did think about was how to end it. She had a good idea about how to stop this. With that in mind she took the last few steps up to Melinda. If she couldn't get Melinda out of it with her voice then she'd just have to turn to action. When close enough she pulled back her hand, palm open and swung.

The resounding sound of the intended slap never came. Instead her wrist was caught mid swing! Dawn tried to pull her hand back but the grip on her wrist only tightened. Dawn knew she was in deep shit when the laughter stopped. Dawn's eyes grew with each passing second as Melinda slowly stood up from where she had been kneeling on the floor. When Melinda finally stood up straight and their eyes met Dawn released the breath she had been holding it. Melinda was smiling at her.

The wall was firmly back in place, and she realized there was only one reason for that, Dawn. In the midst of her lose of control she had seen one thing that had helped her reign in her power again and that was the rising of the sun. The symbol that represented so much to her now had been what had helped her the most. The thought of the young woman standing in front of her was what brought her back to herself. Melinda's smile widened as she realized that a line in the books about her and the Key was correct. They needed each other to balance each other.

"Nice try." Melinda said with a smile. "Thanks."

"Thanks for what?" Dawn asked skeptically. She, after all, had been about to slap her friend.

"For…" Before Melinda could go into detail about what, everything continued, as it should have before Melinda's little accident.

TBC….


	31. Part 26

**A/N:** Okay so I said I'd be trying to get two chapters out every month. Well here's the first one for October. The next one WILL be here before the end of October because I really am trying to stick with this two updates a month thing now. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Its about the same size as many other ones. I had planned for it to be longer but I thought I'd just better get one part of the update out instead of waiting another week to get the whole one out all together. Again, hope you enjoy.

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**Part 26**'Feeling Makes You Real' 

Dawn and Melinda both turned when they heard a thud and then heard British profanity. They turned to see Max lying face first on the tile floor. The next thing they heard was Joyce's gasp and Giles stuttering an apology for almost knocking Joyce over. All around them the people came out of the haze that Melinda had seemingly cause with her laughter. Dawn shivered…if she could do that with just laughing she really didn't want to think about what could happen if she got really mad, even more so then today. If laughter could cause what she just witnessed what the hell else was Melinda capable. Dawn realized that Melinda had let go of her wrist and when she looked over she saw that Anya was floating in mid air, her back facing the floor and her front up towards the ceiling, books in hand and she was screaming.

"Sorry about that Anya." Melinda said apologetically as she twisted her wrist slightly and put Anya into an upright position and then lowered her to the floor.

"What about me?" Max asked as he stood up brushing off the dirt that now covered his nice jacket.

"Sorry to you too Max. It was an accident."

"An accident? What exactly did you…hey wait a second. Dawn how'd you get over here. You were over there." Xander said pointing over to where Joyce and Giles had been standing.

"Yeah…squirt when'd you get with the witchy mojo?" Spike asked.

"I didn't. I just walked over here." Dawn said defending herself as she glared over at Spike.

"Then sweetie how did you get from the door to here without us realizing?" Joyce asked as she stepped up to the group, Xander offering her his seat, which she gladly took.

"I'll tell you how she got there." Anya said as she rushed over to the table, limping oddly, and dropped the books that she had been carrying onto the table and turned to Melinda in a huff. "It was her!" Anya said pointing at Melinda.

"Anya, baby, are you alright?" Xander asked when he noticed her limping.

"No I'm not alright!" Anya screeched as she turned to Xander, pouting. "She made me break a heel of a $65 shoe!" Anya whined.

"Now mind explainin' to us how Mel here is to blame for breaking your shoe?" Faith asked as she put the books she was carrying onto the small table, away from the round one.

Spike growled with disgust. '_Women and their bloody shoes, god forbid they could just buy a bare of boots and not complain when they get dirty.'_ Spike thought as he rolled his eyes and sat down on his chair, his chest up against the back of it as he sat straddling it.

"She did her little spell and caused time to stop for the rest of us while it still moved for Dawn." Anya said as she glared at Melinda and giving Faith her answer.

"No shit…" Faith said nodding her head as she turned to Melinda. "…that's a power I haven't heard you talk about before." Faith said as if it were something normal.

"I didn't know I could do it until now." Melinda said as she looked down. "I'm sorry Anya…if you want I can fix the shoe…."

"No!" Dawn exclaimed.

"What? Why no? If she can fix my shoe let her fix my shoe!" Anya stated as she took off her shoe and was about to hand it to Melinda to fix when Dawn stepped between the ex-demon and the oracle.

"I said no." Dawn said once again as she looked at Anya with a glare. "Not now at least." Dawn then added when she saw Anya about to rant and rave and whine again. "Right now I need to know why I wasn't affected by her new power."

"You want to know why you were the lucky one and didn't break a $65 shoe? Instead of letting her fix mine?" Anya asked, as if what she was saying was the most outrageous thing she had heard of. "Xander…." Anya whined.

"Sorry An…I need to know something too. Like the answers to my questions and what she knows that she's not telling us." Xander said very un-Xander like. "Besides its kinda freaking me out that she could stop time itself." And the old Xander was back.

"What questions?" Faith asked as she moved around the table and took a seat before she looked across the room and saw Willow holding onto Tara and soothing her as she slept by running her hands through her hair. Faith's heart clenched when she saw the tears freely running down Willow's cheeks. There was no time to just sit around and do nothing, and with that thought she stood up and hit her hands on the table to get everyone's attention. They had all been paying attention to whatever it was that Xander was recounting until she hit the table. Everyone's eyes fell on her and they waited.

"There's no time for this. We need to help Tara." Melinda said right before Faith got the chance to say it.

"Hey you stole my line!" Faith objected as she playfully glared at Melinda for a second. "But she's right. We need to help Tara and the only way we can do that is if we put all out cards out on the table. No more hiding aces under your sleeves folks." Faith said as she looked around but her eyes landed on and held Buffy's.

Buffy visibly stiffened when she realized that Faith was directing this comment directly at her. She had been hiding her 'cards' from the people surrounding her. But it had been for good reason, but Faith was right. The time for hiding information had long since past.

"That means you have to give what you have as well, Faith." Buffy stated as she leaned her weight down on the table and leaned forward as she stared at Faith. It didn't even occur to her that the cards that Faith was hiding weren't even hers.

"I would Buffy…but the cards you need to see…aren't mine to put down." Faith said honestly as she walked back over towards Buffy and stood at her side. She jerked her head toward Melinda and winked at the blonde when she brushed her arm up against Buffy's. If they were going to do this, Melinda was the one that was going to explain everything because it already seemed like she had figured a lot of it out.

Buffy blushed and was confused for only a second before she turned her head and looked over at Melinda. Buffy was aware of the fact that Melinda knew Dawn was the Key, so she was confused as to what else there was that Melinda wasn't telling her and everyone else. Dawn had watched the exchange of looks and words between Buffy and Faith with bated breath. The last thing they needed right now was for Buffy and Faith to get at each other's throats. She was grateful that they didn't but when Buffy turned to Melinda after Faith's statement, she had been ready to yell at Buffy to keep her mouth shut. The last thing she really wanted was for everyone to know that she wasn't real! Just as the thought crossed her mind Dawn felt an arm wrap around her stomach and pull her back. Within a moment she was pressed up against something firm and warm and Dawn instinctively closed her eyes when breath passed across her neck.

"Don't ever think that Dawn. Not ever!" Melinda whispered firmly into Dawn's ear as she held her friend against her. "You feel my arm?" Dawn only nodded her answer again her eyes still closed. "Do you feel my breath against your skin?" Melinda blew against Dawn's neck after she asked her last question and Dawn once again nodded but also whimpered. "You feel…don't you?" Dawn nodded.

"Y-yes." Dawn whispered after finally regaining her voice. God did she feel everything right now. It was as if her body had become hyper active or hyper sensitive to everything. Mostly the feeling of Melinda's arm around her stomach, the way her neck warmed when Melinda exhaled and how it became cold when she inhaled. How her body temperature had spiked to the point she thought she'd faint from fever. Then it was gone. The warmth from the body behind her was gone and the air in the room felt cold against her as it surrounded her once again. Dawn's eyes snapped open and she spun around and looked at Melinda, realizing that she knew.

"That makes you real…" Melinda finally said loud enough for everyone to hear.

"You know…" Dawn whispered softly as a tear fell from her eye. Melinda only nodded her head slowly and stepped forward. Dawn shook her head and stepped back away from Melinda. "I don't understand any of you. How you or Buffy or Giles can even bare to…"

Melinda stopped Dawn's next words, for only a moment, by stepping up to Dawn and wiped away the single solitary tear and used the side of her hand to dry the track it had left along Dawn's cheek. "Bare to what Dawn?"

Dawn closed her eyes, two more tears falling as she did so. "To touch me."

"You silly girl…" Melinda said laughter in her tone as she brought her other hand up to cup Dawn's face, her thumbs making quick work of the falling tears. "Have you no idea how hard it is not to? To feel a pull towards you that's so much more then a simple sexual attraction?" Melinda asked.

Dawn was taken aback by this response, so was everyone else. Dawn had just expected to hear how it wasn't such a hardship or something along those lines. This answer really just threw her completely off base. She just found out that her crush as also crushing on her, or that's how it was in simple terms. Also in simple terms Melinda just admitted to having a hard time not touching her….and she was taking it to the farthest extent…so were several others in the room.

"Okay now this isn't exactly what I had in mind when asking for answers." Xander said as he raised his arm into with one finger up while the other was closed into a fist. He wasn't the only one almost completely lost with how Melinda and Dawn were acting, though he and Max were the only ones really surprised about the mention of sexual attraction. Though this mysterious attraction is what was confusing most of them, even Giles and he knew about the prophecy.

"Melinda not that I'm not really surprised about you liking my sister….um…could you explain this other part please." Buffy said as she turned to look directly at Melinda, glaring as if saying 'anything inappropriate done to Dawn and you're dead'.

"I think I'm going to need to sit down for this." Joyce said as she moved over to the table and sat down, with Giles helping her sit down slowly. "Okay….now explain please. Not about the sexual attraction cause right now I'm trying my best to ignore that part." Joyce said as she wafted her hand as she asked for the same explanation they all wanted.

"I'm The Oracle."

TBC….

Okay planned to make it longer but I thought I'd be better just to get an update out there instead of waiting to paste a seriously long update at an even later date. So please let me know what you think.


	32. Part 26B

**Disclaimer:** Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, UPN and WB Television Networks own the television shows, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel". No money is being earned off of this story. Just looking for some feedback and hope others enjoy reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing.

**Authors Note**: Okay so I promised many people that I would make the next chapter longer. Its not as long as it would have been if I hadn't broken the two apart but its longer then the others. Hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think. As you'll see the couples have definitly been picked out and one of them comes to light while the other is mentioned briefly. I did this on purpose and you'll see why later on in the story.

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****Part 26B  
**_'Fighting's What We're Good At'_

"_I'm The Oracle." _Melinda said and watched as those who didn't know became slightly more confused and insulted as if her repeating this was implying they were stupid. "I'm not just an oracle. I am THE Oracle. I'm the most powerful one that has been recorded thus far, and I'm meant to be here, in Sunnydale because I'm meant to find and work with The Key. The one that Glory's looking for is in a lot of prophecy's that are associated with me."

"So you're tellin' us that you're some kind of big shot Oracle and that you need the Key to fulfill other prophecy's?" Spike asked for everyone in the room. "So you're tellin' us that only now? What took you so bleeding long to mention it?" Spike asked as he glared at Melinda, finding her actions lacking and irresponsible.

"I only am brining it up now because, well….look I can go into that later. Right now I need to talk to Dawn in private. The books that Faith just put on the tables have a lot on the Key and me…so read up and you'll know everything Faith, Max and I know."

The Scooby gang went to object about the two leaving the room together with out really getting their answers but Buffy was the only one to action voice the objection as the two started to walk away.

"Hey wait just one minute…" Buffy said ready to stop Melinda from taking Dawn out of her sight, but she was stopped by a hand on her arm.

Faith nodded to Melinda and Dawn, who had stopped walking towards the back room when Buffy called. Melinda nodded and put her hand on the small of Danw's back and led them to the back room while Faith spoke to Buffy.

"Let them talk Buffy. The books explain why they need to talk right now." Faith whispered into Buffy's ear as they both watched Dawn and Melinda walk into the back room.

"Yeah but I still don't want them alone. Not with the sexual attraction thing." Buffy whispered harshly even as her shoulders sagged signifying her defeat. Faith laughed lightly and just pulled Buffy over to the cash register to talk without the others hearing.

"You're telling me you didn't know about their attraction?" Faith asked incredulously. the table and sat down next to the blonde.

The rest of the group groaned and each opened a book and started to read. Even Spike opened a book realizing he might understand everything better if he just read it from the books. That was until he saw they were in a different language. He was about to voice his opinion on reading the books until he noticed that between each page was another page of the translation on them. He kept quiet as did Xander who was going to mention the same thing. The only two that noticed that Buffy and Faith had also stepped aside at all were Joyce and Giles. Giles frowned slightly but Joyce just smiled, happy to see the girls getting along. Getting along better then just friends if the lovey-dovey looks they had on their faces and the way Faith had what might even look like a comforting hand on Buffy's arms. Joyce just smiled and patted Giles on the leg and they both turned back to the books leaving Faith and Buffy to continue to talk.

"I didn't say I didn't know about it. Of course I knew about it, its almost impossible to miss the hearts with Melinda's name in them that are scribbled all over Dawn's books." Buffy said defensively.

"Is that the only way you know about it?" Faith asked and smirked at the slightly disgusted look that overcame Buffy's face.

"No….I also could…ugh…damn I could smell it just as well as you could cause of our damn abilities. I mean come on…! Its my sister's arousal I have to smell? I mean…it really has been a pain."

Faith laughed lightly and sighed when the second of relief had left and the seriousness of the entire situation returned. "Look…they'll be fine. Right now Melinda has to do something only she can…and once she does she can help Tara and then we'll just go back to the way things were."

"You mean us all on our tiptoes because of Glory?" Buffy asked.

"No I mean the way things were before Gory got here. Whatever Melinda is going to do to Dawn…"

"Do to Dawn…what do you mean Do to Dawn?" Buffy asked now on edge again.

Faith put her hand on Buffy's arm to firstly restrain her from rushing in to the other room, and to try and calm her down.

"It explains it all in the prophecy, Buffy. I swear it won't kill Dawn or hurt her…or I think it won't hurt her."

"WHAT!?" Buffy exclaimed. "You _think_ it won't hurt her?!"

Xander and Spike had jumped up when Buffy nearly screamed. They were on alert and had both taken several steps over towards the two women when Faith answered Buffy's question.

"I don't know what happens Buffy! I've never seen it done and its never been done before but from what you just heard…from what you know about both Melinda and Dawn do you really think Melinda would hurt Dawn? Or make her even do it if there was the slightest chance she might get hurt? I mean come on Buffy!" Faith answered her arm falling away as she got in Buffy's face about this.

"You just let my sister go in there to do some kind of unknown spell that may have unknown side effects?!" Buffy asked stepping up to meet Faith. Buffy had many experiences with magic, more then half of them have always left her in worse situations then before the magic had been used.

"I let your sister go into that room with Melinda Buffy. I let her go in there so she can finally be at peace with herself." Faith shouted.

"She's not the one that needs to find peace with herself, Faith. You are!" Buffy screamed and pushed Faith by her shoulders away from her. Something had just cracked inside both Buffy and Faith. They both moved towards the other ready to actually get into a physical fight. Hell…it was what they were good at.

----------------**Backroom**------------------

Melinda sighed as she walked into the workout room. Melinda let go of Dawn's hand the second the door had closed behind them. Dawn stopped walking the moment Melinda let go of her hand now afraid of what might be said in private. Melinda kept walking and only stopped when she reached the wall before she finally turned around and looked at Dawn, then sighed again and looked down. This was not going to be easy and she knew that perfectly well.

"How long have you known?" Dawn asked her voice cracking with silly fear. She figured might as well start with the simple questions before going on to the more emotional ones with complicated answers.

"I've known you were here in Sunnydale for three months." Melinda answered, as she looked up at Dawn happy that one of them could start them on with something. "How long have you known that you're different?" Melinda asked cautiously.

"For about a week and a half." Dawn answered with a slight chuckle. "For almost as long as you've been here." Dawn answered a smile forming before she frowned. "I found out that night you saved me from Glory."

Melinda nodded. Dawn hadn't known about her own destiny for more then a few minutes and she only knew that she was something akin to a mystical object that is fought over and for in fantasy stories and legends. When Dawn didn't say anything more Melinda opened her mouth to voice one of her own questions before shutting it when Dawn's hurried and nervous question was asked.

"Did you know I was 'the key' the whole time? I mean were you just trying to get closer to me to use me?" Dawn asked what was really bothering her, after each question taking a step closer to Melinda. "I mean if you knew that I was here for three months. You arrive here almost two weeks ago knowing I was here. You knew 'the key' was here and you came to use it, me, to fitful these prophecies!" Dawn started to rationalize the answers that Melinda herself had given her and was coming up with conclusions she didn't like, and she was getting angrier with each and every statement! Almost striding over to stand right in front of Melinda. "Why wouldn't you know that I was 'the key' the first time you met me? So this whole time you were just pretending to be my friend! Weren't you!?" Dawn nearly screamed, now standing directly in front of Melinda.

"Dawn please you need to calm down…" Melinda said softly as she tried her best to look into Dawn's eyes, but the brunette's facial expression and eye movements were almost ravid looking.

Dawn would not look at one thing around her long enough for their eyes to catch. It was as if she were some kind of caged animal itching to move and be free from a cage but was unsure of how to go about doing so. Melinda realizing she'd have to get through to Dawn another way then just a pleading look, raised her arms up and cupped Dawn's face and held it still and spoke to Dawn mentally rather then out loud. Almost willing Dawn through a mental link to calm down.

'_Calm down now Dawn. Slowly breath in hold it and then exhale. There's no need to panic. There's no need to get mad I'll explain everything to you right now. You jut need to calm down first.'_ Melinda smiled when she felt Dawn's facial muscles slowly start to relax.

Dawn's breathing slowly started to calm and her heart stopped racing and then began to pound again for another reason. Dawn realized how close she actually was to Melinda and was about to panic but instead she took a deep breath and calmed down.

'_That's a girl.'_ Melinda thought smiling as she watched Dawn take slow and deep breaths, her eyes close and her shoulders slump. "Now to answer your questions and theories." Melinda said out loud and realized the moment she spoke she hadn't waited long enough.

Dawn's eyes snapped open and they were glazed over. Melinda's heart skipped a beat and for the second time that day she was afraid. She wished she could take a step back, but there was not even a half a step for her to take because of the padded wall behind her. Dawn had her pinned and by the look on Dawn's face she knew it. Melinda quickly dropped her hands away from Dawn's face and went to take that half a step backwards, even the half a step was better then no step, and no distance from Dawn at all. Yet, not once did it occur to Melinda that she could easily transport herself anywhere she wished, not once.

Dawn wasn't sure when she had ever been this angry before. Dawn remembered when she and Buffy had a fight when they were younger and she remember how her face had been bright red from screaming at Buffy for doing something she couldn't remember now. She had been so mad at Buffy and it seemed her mom wouldn't do anything to appease her anger so she had started a screaming match with Buffy. Each insult they threw back and forth had made the other snap even more. Dawn remembered this fake memory and could remember how mad she had been. This time it felt nothing like that, it was so much stronger this time. Whether it be because she was actually feeling it now and it wasn't just an imprinted memory, or because this time she really was just that much more angry and betrayed, she didn't know. Honestly…she didn't care! Dawn amazed herself with actually entertaining the thought of killing Melinda, that's how angry she was.

Dawn caught Melinda moving and for the first time she realized how hard her heart was beating, if only because it actually hurt her chest. Her hands were shaking and she wasn't sure if it was because of the blood racing through her veins or the sudden burst of adrenaline. If Dawn's eyes could change color like Melinda's did she was certain that her eyes would have been as dark red as Melinda's had been before. Dawn heard herself almost growl and watched as Melinda stopped her movement and looked into her eyes.

"I trusted you…" Dawn said slowly, her voice no longer sounding anything like her. It was thick and heavy and low…it wasn't her voice but it was she was sure she was the one saying these things. "I trusted you!" Dawn yelled and raised her shaking hands up as if she were about to hit the blonde oracle. "I trusted you and you betrayed me!"

The moment her hands touched Melinda the blonde went back with such force that the padding on the wall popped, the stuffing flying around the area while Melinda's back went into the cement wall behind her cracking the foundation in the shape of her body. Dawn gasped and stepped back the moment she heard the loud 'pop' the padding made as its contents flew out from both sides. Dawn's hand now shook for a different reason.

Melinda stood dazed as she tried to regain her breath. The wind had been knocked out of her the moment Dawn's hands pushed against her shoulders. It only made it worse when she actually went through the padding and hit the wall. Her head was swimming in a depth of confusion and disorientation she'd never been submerged in before. This was the first time she had actually not absorbed a blow since she was fourteen and now she remembered how much it hurt. Melinda coughed and fell to her knees, her left arm wrapped around her waist as she tried to catch as much air into her lungs as possible.

"Oh my god…Melinda I'm so…" Dawn tried to apologize as she took a step toward the blonde, only to find herself stuck in place.

"Don't…." Melinda said between coughs. "….move. You just stay right there." Melinda wheezed as she looked up at Dawn. "First off, I didn't betray you!" Melinda sternly stated as she slowly stood up, her arm still wrapped around her waist. Melinda blew air out when the cotton or white stuffing from the pad brushed past her face, with a wave of her hand the stuffing disappeared and the padding on the wall once again was full. "I knew you were the key the day we met. After I fainted in the hospital and you and the rest of the group brought me to your house I had several visions. All concerning you and the future, except…" Melinda took a deep breath and tried in vain to not smell the iron smell of blood, to almost taste it. That vision had been so real. (See chapter 10 for vision) The only problem with that last vision was she knew she hadn't been there to help them. For some unknown reason she wasn't there to protect Dawn and save Faith and Buffy. That helped her conclude that the prophecy about her death was true, she would either save the ones she loved and die or let them die and live. She'd had so many visions about battle that seemed too impossible to come out the victor, all to do with Glory. She wasn't strong or fast enough to save them all. Which she knows is why she's only ever had the vision of the potential slayers and the gate of hell that once, because unless she saves Buffy, Faith and Dawn this time around that won't happen. That always gets her thinking, is it better to let them die now or save them for them only to die in a few years?

"Yes…" Dawn said slowly and watched as Melinda moved slowly with a slight limp to her right side, her face a white green-ish pallor. Dawn wondered what was so horrible about the visions that would make her need to throw up.

"That's the day I knew you were the key. That's the day I knew. The day we met I knew, but I swear to you Dawn I never betrayed you. Not once! I didn't even tell Faith or Max who you were, what you are capable of." Melinda said pleadingly. The last thing she wanted or needed was for Dawn to believe that she had been played from the beginning, because it may seem like that but it wasn't.

"What I'm capable of?" Dawn asked with a snort, still unable to move. Then again she stopped for a second and looked at the wall she had just pushed Melinda into. "Okay…so I'm capable of some stuff…that I didn't even know about, but that still doesn't change the fact that the only reason you even staid around me was because of who I am." Dawn said wishing she could turn her head around so she could see Melinda, who was now standing behind her once again.

"Dawn….there's no way for me to explain to you how wrong you are without letting you feel everything I've felt for you over the last two weeks. Two weeks, Dawn! That's all it's been…two weeks. Two weeks and I can't think straight Dawn. Yes, I'm attracted to you because you're 'the key', you're the other part of…" Melinda sighed. How did you really go about telling someone that they were the other part of your soul? That they were created to open portals, to save mankind and they were created to be the other half of something some people don't even believe in. Really…how did one go about telling someone you've come to love that they're meant to love you back? Melinda sighed once again and ran her right hand through her hair and walked over to the desk in the corner of the room and sat down on it.

"You can move again." Melinda said as she sat down hissing slightly as her back bent and cracked due to her position.

Dawn sighed and let her shoulders relax and she turned on her heels as fast as she could and saw Melinda halfway across the room sitting on Giles' desk. Dawn wanted to rush at her and shake her. Everything she was saying was too new for her to hear, but most of what she was hearing was slowly dulling the anger she had felt from the 'betrayal'. Dawn rolled her neck around, cracking it and walked over to the desk and sat on the other side of it, as far from Melinda as she could. When Melinda didn't continue talking Dawn spoke, while looking at her hands.

"I'm sorry I pushed you, and I'm really sorry that you went into the wall." Dawn said softly as she fiddled with her fingers as they rested on her lap.

"Its okay. You're just experiencing the power you posses. You can't control it yet, I get that." Melinda said softly, she too fiddling with her hands.

Dawn sighed, it seemed Melinda wasn't going to finish her statement without a little bit of a push. "I'm the other half of what, Melinda?" Dawn asked whispering afraid if she said it too loud her voice might crack.

"You're the other part of my soul Dawn. I've known that since Max explained to me that I was 'The Oracle', but I didn't fall in love with you until I met you. How can I love someone I've never met? I couldn't, but after all the time we've spent together, everything we've shared in this short amount of time I know that I can say I'm in love with you or that I'm falling for you because you're everything I wasn't expecting." Melinda closed her eyes and waited for Dawn to lash out at her.

Dawn gasped. Dawn definitely wasn't expecting to hear that. She had expected to hear Melinda tell her that she was the other half to her prophecies, or to her power, or to some unknown treasure. So when love was mentioned as well as soul mate, she was thrown for a loop, but it wasn't as confusing or terrifying as you might expect it to be. She was thrown for a loop but she felt her heart soar at the unexpected turn of events, and details mentioned. Dawn turned to look at Melinda. Her head turned while still angled down, her hair falling to the left side of her face, she looked at Melinda who was sitting to her right, and a smile slowly formed. Dawn stretched her right hand out and put it on top of Melinda's, which was sitting on her lap. Melinda's eyes snapped open when she felt Dawn's hand grasp her own. She had been waiting for Dawn to yell and scream at her or even start another fight with her. She didn't actually expect Dawn to be smiling at her like some happy fool and holding her hand.

"Funny how that works out huh..?" Dawn said laughing as she squeezed Melinda's hand. "I don't really know what it is that's between us Melinda, may it be this magical attraction or whatever you want to call it, but there's one thing I do know. That one thing is that I've never felt this before, whether it be from my planted memories or since I've actually been alive."

Then something they both hadn't anticipated happened, a bright light starting from their joined hands grew and encased the entire room in light. They both gasped as they felt the light bring with it an energy that neither had ever experienced before. Part one of their prophecy complete, now they only just had to wait till the process was finished, but as they sat there on that desk with their hands joined they lost a sense of time and location. The only thing they were aware of was the energy and spark that was being passed through them from their hands. Too bad they were unaware of their surroundings because their help was surely needed in the next room.

TBC…..

* * *

Let me know what you think. Helps me a lot with which way the story will go if you're not liking the direction. U turns are always possible, they just may take some time to find for it to be legal. (wink) Thanks for sticking with me for the waits and this far along in the story.


	33. Part 27

_So here is the next update for this story. Its been a long time coming and I hope those that have been reading this story will come back and read the update and then again wait patiently for the next update. Which, I'm hoping I'll be able to post in ten days. Don't quote me on that though. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed. I apprechiate you taking the time to read and review. Enjoy this chapter._

_--Megs_

* * *

Demon names I just created using the Latin words of suffixes for them.

**Part 27  
**_'The Vision of Death Begins'_

--**Front Room**--

Faith felt as if she had been sucker punched. Hadn't they already gone through this? Hadn't Buffy herself said that the past was the past and that she was forgiven? And who the hell did she think she was? Assuming she still needed to find peace! She had found her peace the moment she saw Melinda sitting at the visitors' table 2 months ago. She didn't need anyone else's forgiveness, she had Melinda's and she thought she had Buffy's. Looked like she was wrong.

Max and Giles who had both realized that this fight was not going to lead anywhere good anytime soon stood up and went over towards their respective slayers ready to pull them apart if they had to. They never got the chance.

"That...is...enough!" The sentence was not yelled nor screamed but it held the same amount of power and put more fear into those that heard it then any demon or apocalypse could.

The group turned to see Willow standing by the stairs glaring at both Buffy and Faith. It was the first time she had said anything to them since she had arrived, and finding Tara as she did. The only reason she had left her girlfriend's side now was because Buffy and Faith's yelling was starting to wake Tara. That was the last thing the blonde witch needed was to wake up right now. Willow turned towards Joyce when she noticed that the older woman was trying to stand up. Willow went over and helped her stand and almost smiled when she saw the look of pride Joyce was directing at her.

"Step away from each other this instant!" Joyce said as she slowly stood up from her chair, with Willow's help, and actually glared at the two bickering 'children'.

Buffy and Faith were left with no other choice. They stepped away from each other and both turned towards Joyce, still looking at the other through the corner of their eyes. Both silently blaming the other one for the reprimand they were about to be dealt by Joyce and for making Willow as mad as she was. Though Faith thought it added more kick of flavor to the girl and it made her look hot when she got angry. Faith's eyes widened with this thought and she shook her head and smacked her own head to get the slightly disturbing thoughts out as quickly as possible. The only other person she thought was hot when she was angry was Buffy and so...that's what she kept repeating cause god forbid Melinda heard her thoughts about Willow. She'd never let her live it down!

"You two are like small children." It was no compliment and it was the beginning of their embarrassing smack down of their egos by Joyce Summers. "You know you're going to lose so you say the most hurtful disrespectful things you can think of to make your victory last just that much longer. To know that the sting you leave won't disappear as fast as your victory. It's a disgusting quality and I won't stand for it!" Joyce said as she moved over to the girls, brushing off Willow's help when she reached the small group that had formed around Buffy and Faith.

"Sorry mom." Buffy said and sighed as she calmed down.

"Yeah, sorry Mrs. S." Faith mimicked Buffy as she sighed and her head fell even lower. She was just the one to actually take the next step. "Look Buffy I'm sorry I got all up in your face." Faith said as she turned and looked at Buffy, shoving her hands into her pockets. _'It just bothered me that you didn't trust Melinda, or me.'_ Faith thought as she turned and walked away, not giving Buffy the time to apologize. Faith didn't really want to hear whatever it is Buffy was going to say to try and take back what she had said. It didn't matter, what did matter was Buffy still wasn't ready to let her forget the past. "I'm going out for a smoke. Max come and get me when they come back from the back room." Faith said over her shoulder as she walked out of the Magic Box. To hell with the fact that she would never be able to regain her bad girl persona after this. To hell with it, and to hell with Buffy.

Buffy felt her heart constrict even as it raced against her chest. She had done it again. She had used the one thing she knew would hurt Faith and just shoved it into the healing wound. This had to stop! She had to stop doing that. She was ruining everything that they had started to have between them. They didn't even go on their first official date and she was already bringing up the past and making Faith walk away from her.

They had decided just the other day to wait for things to calm down before their first date. Though they had shared their first kiss already not even 48 hours before. So again not even 48 hours later she was already pushing Faith away, over what? What was it this time...and what would it be next time? Buffy looked down, finding that her eyes were burning and tears were already falling. She tore her arm away from Xander's hand and she rushed into the basement, the only empty space available to her.

The thoughts for both women being_, how the hell was this going to work if she kept doing this?_

--

"Well that certainly didn't go well." Xander said as he ran his hand through his hair nervously, finally turning to face the rest of the group. "Someone want to explain to me why that just happened?" Xander asked as he looked around and saw that half of them seemed to know something he didn't. The looks on their faces gave it away.

"Yes, please explain how their friendly conversation just went to hell..." Giles said and rolled his eyes as he took off his glasses. "What do expect with those two?" He asked as he went back over to the round table and sat down and went back to the books.

"Oh please...! You can't tell me you don't see it! I mean it's bloody obvious!" Spike said loudly to get Giles' attention away from the books. "I mean its one thing for the buffoon not to know whats goin' on with those two but you can't tell me you don't know."

"Hey!" Xander exclaimed.

"I know quiet well how Buffy feels about Faith. If you didn't know already I was present when we discovered that Buffy had been put under a love spell, and the person she loved happens to be Faith. It is really not that unknown." Giles said as he looked over at Spike. "Now that you understand that I am on the same page as you will you please come back and help me look..."

"Buffy's in love with Faith!?" Xander exclaimed as he looked around the room and saw everyone else in the room seemed to know this. "No one told me?!"

"Keep your voice down Xander!" Willow reprimanded as she grabbed one of the books and turned to walk back over to sit closer to Tara.

Willow stopped in her tracks when she saw a vampire standing outside the shop window. He was just looking into the shop and was smiling at her. He actually waved before jumping into the shop through the window. The vampire that broke through the window staid down after rushing through the glass but was still 'alive'. It was the vampire's buddies that caused the panic. As the vampire lie unmoving at the shop window several assortments of demons started to rush through the now large opening. Willow tried to get over to Tara but one particular blue scaly demon charged at her and knocked her down before she was able to get to Tara.

"Shit!" Willow cursed as she kicked at the blue disgustingly drippy demon that was holding her around the waist and snarling at her.

"Demons!" Anya yelled getting anyone's attention towards the front of the shop, which might have not heard the sound of shattering glass and the thud when Willow was pushed to the ground.

"Willow!" Xander yelled as he rushed toward Willow and the demon but was intercepted by one of the many other demons that had just walked right into the shop.

Spike in the mean time rushed to the weapon supply and threw Giles a sword, gave Anya a baseball bat, and then handed Max an ax before he himself rushed over to the growing number of demons that were rushing through the now broken window. Spike's face transformed into his 'game face' as he stabbed the demon through the back just enough to kill it and leave Xander unharmed. Though for a few seconds he had thought about 'accidentally' letting the knife go through the demon and the Trekie. But he did think better of it since he knew he'd need his help with the demons. Spike pulled up on the sword that was still embedded in the demons back and turned just in time to be slammed to the ground as well. His sword lying feet away, now useless to him.

Giles first had rushed over to Joyce pulled her as far away from the front of the shop as possible, than pushed Max to stand in front of her before he along with Anya both stepped up to help Xander and Willow. Anya's only reason for getting into the fight right off the bat was because Xander was in trouble. Max in the mean time turned to check on Joyce first, happy to see she was now arming herself with a cross bow that she pulled out of the open cabinet. As Max went to turn back towards the front room he saw, for the first time, a bright light coming from underneath the backdoor. He knew that whatever Melinda and Dawn were doing could not be interrupted! Not yet at least. It was the perfect time for an attack and Max cursed himself for not realizing that. Not only were they down an Oracle and a witch, but they were down both slayers since neighter of the slayers were back from their tantrums. Buffy downstairs and Faith off brooding somewhere. Just as the thought crossed Max's mind Faith entered the shop. Except she didn't enter the shop on her own will or accord.

Faith came into the shop in mid air, already beaten to the edge of life, and flew right into Spike slamming them both to the ground. As Faith and Spike seemed to settle into the floor the shop door opened. The bell above the door ringing brought attention to the person walking into all the mayhem. All eyes rested upon the tall blonde Goddess they had been praying would not be behind this. At least if they knew she wasn't behind it they might have a chance to survive. Now that she was here they seemed to rethink their own odds. Especially since all those supernaturally gifted were either down for the count or missing in action.

--**Basement**--

Buffy had started cursing her choice in escape the moment she closed the basement door behind her. It was not the best place to hide or get away since the only exit was to go back up into the shop and everyone could come right down to see her. She knew she had gone and done it this time. She just really had to learn to insult Faith without actually bringing up the past. Buffy sighed and moved through the dusty basement and knocked into something. Her nerves still on edge from the 'almost fight' with Faith had her jumping around and slamming the side of her forearm into the face of the Buffy-bot. When she realized it was only the Buffy-bot she sighed and smiled for a moment, laughing at her own stupidity about many things. When she stopped laughing and looked at the robot she wondered why they had even bothered to keep this thing. Yes, it still worked but what good was it? The only uses it had were for sexual gratification and if she caught anyone using this she was going to make them pay big time. Buffy moved over to the corner where Buffy-bot was standing and looked at it, its perfect resemblance still creeping her out. The robot had even sounded like her, though its use of vocabulary was nothing like hers. Buffy sighed and leaned up against the wall and closed her eyes. Tars slowing making their way down her cheeks as she thought about how she could ruin a relationship before she was even really in one.

"Why are you crying?" Buffy nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of her own voice asking her that question.

"What...how...huh?" Buffy sputtered in shock. The Buffy-bot was looking at her with something that actually resembled concern on its face.

"I asked why are you crying? Are you injured? Do you need medical attention? Spike is very good with his hands he can help you if you are hurt. He can help you with anything."

Buffy groaned and really did consider just punching the robots head off. It was horrible to hear herself drag on about Spike like he was some kind of god or something.

"I'm sure he is..." Buffy paused and decided to just finish the sentence no matter how gross it sounded. "...good with his hands. But he can't help me right now."

"Why?" Buffy-bot asked with a tilt of her robotic head.

"Because I'm the one that hurt myself." Buffy said softly as she looked down at her hands. Why she was still even bothering with this conversation she didn't know, because it was only a step above talking to yourself. Either way she was sure she was crazy anyway, so it didn't matter.

"Why?" Buffy-bot asked her voice an octave higher then it had been before, her head still titled.

"I hurt someone that I love and now I'm hurting because I made her hurt." Buffy said, a sob escaping her as she brought her hands up to cover her face.

"That is sad." The robot said in a monotone that was drowned out by the sound of glass breaking.

Buffy jumped up from where she was sitting and rushed towards the stairs. She grabbed an ax as she passed by some assortment of weapons. By the time she reached the top of the stairs her heart was racing and her skin tingling as she felt more then saw all the demons and vampires that lay beyond the door in front of her. With a deep breath Buffy kicked the door open. There were too many demons to count and they were all crowding around the backdoor. The demons weren't the only ones there. The Scooby gang was cornered between the shops back wall and the demons standing in front of them. The only three that weren't in the back were Faith, Spike and Willow. Faith and Spike were busy taking care of the vampires trying to get to Tara, while at the same time avoiding Glory's attacks. Buffy yelled and rushed into the group of demons that crowded around Xander, Anya, Max and her mother. She held out her ax in front of her and rammed herself into the group, pushing the front part of the group against the sidewall. With a quick pivot she took off the head of the demon to her left, while Xander and Max pushed up now that they had room and attacked the second flank of demons.

Glory had ordered the demons to push ahead and bring her the Oracle and the Key. Once the order had been given Max had given his own form of an order. They weren't to let any demons near Dawn or Melinda. So with Max's order given half the group had pulled rank in front of the backdoor and the onslaught of demons now rushing towards them. They had only been trying to hold them back for a few minutes when they were cornered into the corner. Giles was leaning against the backdoor, having been inured early on by a wayward blade's swing. Giles watched as the carnage before him grew. All involved fighting for what they believed to be the better goal. Giles winced in pain when he lifted his arm and pulled the crossbows trigger, effectively killing the demon that had been charging Joyce. With a groan he reached out for another arrow and loaded it onto the crossbow, took a bad shot that only slowed the Sildurus demon down.

"Xander...his hand! His hand! Cut off his hand!" Giles yelled as he coughed, his hand moving back to put more pressure against his wound.

"Right." Xander said as he tried to cut off the demons hand. The demon was as hard as rock everywhere, even his head. The head swipe Xander had tried with his sword had actually cracked the sword. While ducking Xander pulled his arms up, the angle of his sword cutting off the demons hand, and as the hand hit the floor the demon fell apart into small cobblestones. "Thanks Giles." Xander yelled over his shoulder as he moved on to the next demon.

Giles turned around just in time to watch as Buffy was thrown into the air by another Sildurus demon. The girl landed over by the stairs and jumped up only to come face to face with Glory. Giles coughed again, this time his eyes closing as the fit of coughs left in short of breath and blood dripping from his chin to his already blood soaked shirt. With one last peek through his closing eyes Giles aimed his last shot at the Crubramen demon attacking Joyce. The sounds of battle raged on but he heard no sound. The vision of death was presented in front of him, but all he saw was black.

TBC...

Sildurus: Rockhard  
Curbramen: Green poison


	34. Part 28

Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it. I'm not the most experianced in writing fight scenes. I hope you'll still enjoy it.

**Part 28  
'**_The Awakening'  
_

--

Faith felt her body give as she was hit, for what felt like the hundredth time, by Glory. Every hit sent her flying, and this time she crashed into the display case by the cash register. Faith coughed and felt sick even as the blood reached her mouth. She rolled off the display case with a small push and landed behind the register. Blood from her mouth dripping to the floor as well as from her other injuries. Faith knew almost all her ribs were broken, the burning pain in her chest was just the first clue, and the second was how she could actually hear them crack with each punch Glory landed. Faith looked up when she heard glass breaking in front of her. There standing in a ridiculous pink outfit was Buffy, looking around as if she'd never seen demons before. What ticked Faith off was she was just standing there, until she caught something out of the corner of her eye. Faith watched as Buffy rushed, stiffly to the front of the shop and put herself between Spike and several demons.

"No one hurts my Spikey!" Buffy-bot stated and backed it up with a kick that sent one demon into the display case and the other falling to the floor.

Spike looked over at the Buffy standing in front of him and had to smirk and laugh darkly. "Hey there pumpkin." Spike said sweetly, even as he twisted the neck of a demon till he heard the satisfying crack of his neck.

"Why are we fighting?" The Buffy-bot asked even as she kicked a vampire in the stomach and watched as she soared through the air and right into a demon trying to get in through the broken shop window.

"Trying to save the world puppet." Spike said as he pulled a demon away from Tara and Willow. "Now would be a great time for a spell!" Spike yelled as he spun around with his demon before letting him fly right into the front door of the shop.

"I'm working on it!" Willow yelled back. She was standing in front of Tara in the corner of the shop giving her the perfect protection point for her otherwise wounded girlfriend.

Faith groaned as she stood up and grabbed a dagger that had been inside the display case she had just destroyed. She didn't know what this dagger would do against Glory but if it gave her something to slice the bitch with, she'd take it. Spitting the blood that rose into her mouth she turned back to Glory and smirked. "That all you got sweetheart?" Faith asked her own voice as chipper as Glory's had once been. She laughed outright when Glory looked at her with a tilted head and a raised eyebrow.

"Lets finish this." Faith spat as she rushed forward and took Glory on fists first. The Goddess found herself stumbling when Faith's punch landed squarely to her jaw. It seemed the slayer was finally ready to play. Glory smiled and turned to meet Faith's next swing with her wrist. She grabbed onto Faith's wrist and started to squeeze. If the slayers other hand, which held the dagger, and knee hadn't made contact with her stomach at the same time, she would have finally broken the pesky fist that thought it prudent to defile her face.

Buffy found herself sailing through the air to hit the wall that, surprisingly still separated the front of the shop from the rest of it. With a groan of pain she stood up and turned when she heard Glory and Faith converse as the two met each other blow for blow. Buffy worried what real shape Faith was in. The blood covering almost every inch of her showing skin and shirt only worrying her more as she watched Glory connect with Faith's already battered ribs.

"Faith!" Buffy yelled as she watched Faith fly right into the demon that had just thrown her across the shop. Buffy turned when she saw a wisp of blonde hair that wasn't her own. With training only that of a slayer she ducked and pivoted to watch Glory's hand break through the cement wall she had just been standing against, where her head had been.

"Two blonde slayers." Glory said confused as she looked between the two women who would always pass of as twins wherever they went. Glory feeling slightly overwhelmed stepped back, which allowed one of the blonde slayers to knock her on her ass. As she sat there she just looked around, dazed. Her head swam as she tried to comprehend everything and ignore the yelling voices in her head. Sweat appeared on her forehead.

"Buffy..." Buffy turned towards the back of the shop just in time to catch the trolls hammer that Faith through her. Without another thought Buffy swung and watched as the hit landed and threw Glory right back out the doorway she had destroyed.

* * *

"Damn!" Spike cursed as he shoved a piece of an old wooden shelf into another vampire's heart and watched as it combusted for a split second before he turned to take on another one. "The rouge's lost it!" Spike yelled over to Willow. "That spell coming along any faster darlin'!?"

Willow turned to look over at Spike, her eyes a dark red. Spike stepped back as he pushed an ugly ass lizard demon into the wall knocking it unconscious. Witches with their eyes turning red was starting to become an everyday occurrence. How sad.

Willow raised her hands up to her chest and held them outward. An orb of bright yellow light forming in her hands. It sizzled and sparked as it grew bigger, and brighter. Spike's eyes widened and without another thought rushed passed Glory and jumped behind what was left of the showcase the register had been sitting atop. Whatever that orb was, it was not something he wanted to come into contact with.

Willow began chanting in Latin. "Compositus meus placitum , sentio meus vox wash malum ex meus os! Compositus meus placitum sentio meus vox wash malum ex meus os!" Her chant translated to Goddess match my plea, feel my power, wash the evil from my sight.

The orb that Willow had been creating burst forth from her hands and spread through the entire shop. It's rays of light emitting into the nearby street due to the wall no longer being in existence. The light became as bright as one would imagine the sun would be. All present in the shop covered their eyes. Then the screaming started. The demons that had invaded the sanctuary of the Magic Shop each screamed once for three seconds before they all combust and with a spoof of air. The light disappeared and with it so did the enemies they had been fighting.

"Spikey where'd you go?" Buffy-bot asked as she stepped down the battered stairs.

"Back here..." Spike stated as he stood up from his hiding place. Happy to be alive, since all the other vampires that had been present in the shop were no more then dust in the wind. Spike stepped out from behind the wreckage of the display case and looked over at Willow and smiled at the witch. "Bloody hell woman...one hell of a spell you got there."

"Thanks..." Willow puffed out before she fell back against the wall, her energy all but spent as she tried to calm her racing heart.

Faith pushed passed Xander and Max as well as the Buffy-bot, which she would ask about later, and rushed to the broken doorway. There was nothing outside it but the splinters of wood and glass. With a sigh and a fist to the remaining doorframe Faith cursed and sighed in relief. Glory was gone, for now. Faith turned back into the shop, or what was left of it.

"We need a doctor!" Joyce yelled out as she sat next to Giles, her hands already covered in the man's blood as she held them against his gaping wound.

"You don't need a doctor." Came a voice from the backdoor.

"Well it's about bloody time!" Max exclaimed as he looked at the door to see Melinda standing there, her hair as white as stark white hospital walls.

"Nice hair." Xander stated as he moved to sit down in the only remaining chair, his own blood seeping from his wounds.

Melinda turned her head to the side and looked at Xander with a tilted expression. If Xander didn't know better he realized he should fear for his life. Except he was too tired to fear for his life right now! Especially if it was Melinda he had to fear...he already spent too much time fearing that woman. Right now he needed to rest and possibly have the same woman he feared heal his wounds. Because he feared if he lost any more blood he'd pass out just like Giles.

Faith took a few faltering steps into the shop and at once noticed the almost flaming white hair. For a moment she feared Willow's spell hadn't killed all of the demons, but then she got a better look at the person.

"Melinda?" Faith asked, her vision blurring as she fell forward onto her knees. Her eyes fighting to stay forward and not roll into the back of her head. Buffy rushed over to Faith and touched the brunette's shoulder and squeezed gently, before her eyes too focused on Melinda and she stood up slowly. Helping Faith stand up with her. Faith's head fell to her shoulder, but she couldn't dwell on the knowledge that Faith was leaning against her to remain standing. Not when there was another possible threat in their midst's, in the form of their friend.

"That's not Melinda..." Willow warned from her separate corner of the shop, only able to see the white hair from over the remaining counter. Buffy's headshot to meet Willow's eyes before she turned back to meet Melinda's eyes. They were almost completely black, no pupil. Nothing. They almost seemed...empty.

"What are you talking about?" Joyce asked as she eyed the woman in front of her. It looked like Melinda, well except for her white hair.

"Oh no." Max whispered as he took a step away from the white haired woman standing in front of him. He leaned down next to Joyce. "Help me pick Giles up." Max stated.

His eyes fixated on Melinda. Joyce not understanding but understanding the fearful expression across Max's face did as instructed. The two of them weren't able to lift Giles high and weren't able to carry him very far, but it was farther away from the woman standing in the doorway to the work out room. Which at the moment seemed to be a good thing.

"Melinda..." Buffy said slowly, her arm gripping Faith's waist tighter when the brunette almost collapsed again. "...where's Dawn?" Spike walked up along side Buffy and Faith and helped Buffy take on Faith's weight. Once he had his arm securely wrapped around Faith's waist Buffy let go and stepped forward.

All eyes turned to Melinda, and their breath caught in their throats. Where **was** Dawn?

"Where's Dawn?" Buffy asked again still stepping forward.

Melinda only smiled brightly, her smiling almost as white as her new hair. It was a sickening smile, one that held a much deeper meaning then any in the room wanted to comprehend at the moment.

"Melinda..."

Melinda's smile turned to a small smirk. "I'm not Melinda."

Gasps sounded through the room.

* * *

Dawn found herself standing in what she could only describe as a dark room. The last thing she had remembered was a warmth and a bright light. Now all that she saw was darkness. Black darkness. She spun around looking for some kind of shadow to indicate some kind of object or form within the room with her. Then again...with a shiver she wasn't sure she'd like it much if there happened to be someone in here with her.

"M...Melinda...?" Dawn's voice cracked as she whispered her friend's name. Then out of nowhere there was a small light and her friend's form appeared and the 'room' they were in came into perfect view. They were standing in her bedroom. The only difference is, it wasn't really her bedroom because the window...there was nothing but darkness outside her window. Dawn turned around and saw her friend standing by her bed.

"What's going on?" Dawn asked, as Melinda stayed silent. "Your hair...?" Dawn realized Melinda's hair...it was white. When did that happen? Hadn't it just been brown seconds ago? "Melinda what's going on?" Melinda just looked at her. Her eyes, they were black. "Melinda?" Dawn asked gently as she took a step back.

The woman in front of her just shook her head. Dawn's eyes widened as she realized what or who was in front of her.

"Oracle?" The head that had just been shaking 'no' now was nodding her head yes.

Melinda had told her only this week about this. After the failed attempt with Glory Melinda had confided something in Dawn that no one else knew about. Everyone in the group knew that Melinda wasn't exactly human. She was born of a human female yes, but her 'father' if you could call it that was the Fates. Her 'father' was pure magic and because of this magic, she was what she was, an Oracle. Everyone knew that. What they didn't know was that in her case the magic part of her...was just that, a part of her. One half of her was another person, another being completely. It was pure magic, but it had become another person completely. Her split personality if you will.

"Who are you?" The Oracle asked as it turned its head to the side. Then as if just asking the question allowed gave it answers the Oracle smiled. "You are my other half."

"Um...see you and Melinda keep saying that but what does that mean?" Dawn asked as she stepped away from the Oracle. The Oracle just advanced another few steps and stood before Dawn with a glowing smile.

"You are my soul mate. Your soul is the missing half of my own. Your power matches my own." The Oracle explained as she brought her hand up to touch Dawn's cheek. "Melinda has fancied you since our arrival. She has been keeping secrets from me..."

The Oracle explained as it turned its head to the left and continued to stare into Dawn's face smiling. It was odd. Seeing Melinda's smiling face peering into her very being, with the knowledge that this wasn't Melinda at all.

"I'm sure it's for good reason." Dawn stated, pulling herself away from the woman's touch. "What's going on?"

"We are becoming one." The Oracle stated as if the idea and words hadn't just come from her own lips.

"What?" Dawn asked her mind unable to comprehend everything at once.

"It seems Melinda has started the ritual...with your consent it would seem." The Oracle stated and smiled brightly. "She is bonding our souls together. It will complete us. It will also give you what is yours."

"Which is?" Dawn asked unsure what was hers and why it seemed it was so important.

"Power..." The Oracle stated. It seemed she was unable to stop smiling. "...does it not please you?" She asked sensing Dawn's own apprehension. "You will be given what is rightfully yours. It will allow you to become complete. Allow us both to know exactly what and who we are...how does this displease you?"

"It doesn't." Dawn stated.

"Then why are you skeptical?"

"I'm scared." The Oracle tilted her head.

"I do not understand."

"I'm not like you. I can't see the future. I don't know what's going to happen before it happens. I don't know how to deal with the things you deal with. I'll never be ready to deal with the things you deal with. How can I deal with power...I've never wanted power and I still don't. Power...its..."

"It will protect you."

"It corrupts!" Dawn accused. "What if I change? What if the power changes me? What if I can't handle it? What if I'm not meant to handle it?"

"You are."

"How do you know!?" Dawn nearly yelled as she stepped back. "How do you know..." Dawn whispered.

"Because..."

"Don't...don't say because you've seen it. You and Melinda see a lot of things but they all don't come true. They change because of events. What's to say this won't change them? What if this changes me...? What if..."

"I will not let it. I promise you I will not let it take a hold of you. Of changing you. I promise you, if you do not find this power capable of being controlled I will bind it. I will not let it harm you."

Dawn opened her mouth to speak but closed it and sighed. She moved over to the bed and sat down. "So...is that all? You'll just bind it and I won't have to worry about it?"

"Yes." The Oracle moved to sit next to her on the bed.

"Cool..." Dawn said softly and turned to look at the Oracle. "...when can we leave here?" Dawn asked as she kicked her feet back and forth.

"When you are ready to leave." The Oracle stated with a shrug of her shoulders. "If you like you may stay here to test your powers. You will not harm anyone while you are here, and you may see what it will be like."

Dawn's head perked up. "Really..."

"Yes..."

"Awesome...lets try that." Dawn stood up and waited a few seconds. The Oracle just sat on the bed looking at her. Dawn looked around the room and then down at her hands. "Um...how do I get this power?"

The Oracle smiled and stood up and took hold of Dawn's hands. Another flash of light encased their small area and when it disappeared Dawn was alone in her bedroom. She looked around moved her hand to rub at her eyes, small dots appearing at random. As her hand touched her face Dawn realized something very startling and jumped back, as if jumping would give her space, from her own hand.

"It's glowing..." Dawn said in amazement as she turned her hand back and forth, inspecting it with vigor. "...I have a glowing hand. A radioactive hand, ha...okay. Now...how to use it."

* * *

The Oracle smiled as she brought her own hand up to her head, and pointed to it. "I am the Oracle. Melinda and Dawn are safe. They're in here..." The Oracle poked her own head twice.

Buffy just looked at the woman with her mouth open. Unable to form a sentence or even speak a word. Her sister was inside someone else's mind. She should be panicking and beating the shit out of the woman to let her sister out, but she wasn't. Buffy turned her head towards Faith and saw the woman wasn't even tense in...the Oracle's...presence. Faith had asked her to trust Melinda...and trust her. With a deep breath and a step forward, she would. Maybe this was just part of the ritual they needed to go through.

Yeah...that was it! It was all part of the ritual/spell they needed to perform!

It had to be.

TBC...


	35. Part 29

**Thank you for the continued interest in the story. I am so very sorry for the VERY VERY VERY long wait. For the last couple dozen months I've been out for the count when it came to writing but I saw that I still have some chapters for this story I've yet to post. I may even be able to work on more of it during the summer. I hope that those of you who enjoyed the story before will continue to enjoy it now. **

* * *

**Part 29  
**_'Another Family Reunion' _

"Oh…cause that's normal." Xander sarcastically bit back even as his head pounded and he felt as if he were about to pass out.

"You are injured." The Oracle stated as she turned to look at the man that had spoken to her. She stepped forward, but was stopped by the small frame of a blonde woman. She tilted her head to the side as she inspected this woman. She was his lover, the hormones emitting from her left little doubt of her feelings for the injured man. "I mean him no harm." She stated slowly her voice different from Melinda's, it was deeper and she spoke slowly as if she had trouble speaking English.

Anya looked the Oracle up and down and only stepped aside two inches, to allow her to pass to reach Xander. The Oracle stepped forward and placed her hand on Xander's head.

"Remain calm." She stated.

Xander couldn't help compare her to one of the terminators from Terminator trilogy. Stiff, firm, strong, and weird. All qualities they shared in common. Xander, though his comparison creped him out, staid still and watched as closely as he could to how the Oracle's hand glowed a deep purple hue and then there was no pain. Anywhere…not just from his head…but anywhere. He stood up abruptly and jumped around for a second before smiling.

"Um…he needs help too." Joyce said from where she was sitting holding her hand against Giles' wound. "He's hurt very badly."

Max looked at Joyce as if she'd grown a second head. From what he had learned from Melinda, this side of her, the split personality was not a nice or caring person. Yet, here it was helping them.

Max realized with a sinking feeling that if what Melinda said was true, the only reason this side would help them was because it needed their help. 'Nothing comes for free for her', were Melinda's exact words. Max shivered as the woman walked passed him, and eyed him wearily.

Great…she could hear his thoughts. With a shake of his head he stepped up and stood next to Joyce and Giles.

"What is it you want in return?" He asked being forward might work. Though with the glare he received from the others in the room, it'd only work with the Oracle.

Spike moved forward, keeping Faith against him as he walked to the chair Xander had been sitting in. He helped Faith sit down in it. "Yo bloke leave her 'lone. She's helping us out." Spike stated as he met Max's eyes. "When you're done helping the watcher this slayer needs some of your time." Spike said as he nodded his head in Faith's direction. He pulled out a smoke and lit it as he moved to lean against the wall.

The Oracle looked behind her at Spike and the wiltering slayer, and gave no other indication she'd heard his words, before turning back to Giles. When she healed Giles' wound she turned to the woman sitting next to him. Giles' eyes slowly opened to find a white haired Melinda in front of him.

Joyce found her own eyes locked with the white haired witch in front of her. The Oracle brought her hand up to the woman's head, which still held a wayward bandage and the dark purple hue encased Joyce's head. The woman shook violently startling everyone!

"Mom!" Buffy shouted as she rushed forward ready to pull the Oracle off of her mother.

"Let her go!" Max firmly commanded as he tried to grab at the Oracle's arm. All he met was a barrier and he felt himself fly through the air until he met the wall.

"Fuck." Spike spat as he threw his bud to the ground and rushed at the Oracle.

He stopped his charge forward when he saw Max fly through the air and slam into the wall. He stood there for a moment. Then met Joyce's eyes. They were glazed over and her body continued to shake.

"Fuck it..." Spike growled as he grabbed the bat that Anya had been wielding before and tried to slam it onto the Oracle's back. The bat broke on contact and he too went flying through the air into the opposite wall.

Right as Buffy was about to take her own swing to the Oracle the witch turned towards her, her eyes as white as her hair. Buffy watched as she stepped away from her mother and continued to eye her with her white eyes. Turning when she heard her mother groan Buffy kneeled down next to her mother and brought her hands over her mother's face and through her hair.

"Mom! Are you alright...?" That's when Buffy realized it. Her mother's hair! Buffy shot around to look at the white witch standing behind her. Who was once again looking on back at her with her black eyes.

"She will no longer need to take her medication, nor see a doctor." The witch stated, as if this news meant nothing. That they no longer had to worry about Joyce's prophesied death wasn't a step below the greatest news they could hear today. Giles smiled widely and wrapped his arms around Joyce. Joyce just smiled dreamily and rested her head against Giles shoulder comfortably.

"You'll explain this to me later." Joyce said as she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Giles smiled and placed a gentle kiss atop Joyce's forehead. "Of course my dear." Giles answered the already sleeping woman.

After a moment of just staring at the woman in his arms he looked up to meet the Oracle's eyes and tilted his head. "What's happened to her?"

"She's not Melinda." Max explained as he stood up and made his way back over to the group. "She's the Oracle."

"You mean it's true? The split personality?" Giles asked, having read a book that theorized that the Oracle, any oracle, would have a split personality. The split personality would be only thing that would keep them sane through all their ordeals.

"Yes." Max stated as he moved to another wall and slid down it, exhausted. He had enough to worry about right now. He'd deal with the Oracle's awakening after he took a short nap.

The Oracle stepped over to where Faith was sitting and placed her hand atop Faith's head. The purple hue began to encase Faith's entire body as it healed all of her external and internal wounds.

"I apologize. But I can not heal your heart." The Oracle stated as she moved across the shop towards the exit.

Buffy and Faith's eyes met and they both looked away from their apologetic gazes when they heard Willow yell. They both turned towards the front of the shop and saw the Oracle trying to get to Tara, but Willow was standing in front of her girlfriend, in a defiant pose a large block of wood wielded as her weapon.

Willow was no fool. Far from it! She knew the moment that the Oracle looked her way and stopped her exit to come towards her that she was after Tara. There was no way that she would let this personality take her girlfriend from her. No way! The memory of that mind-eating monster that attacked people at the psych-ward of the hospital present in her mind as the Oracle approached her. Willow grabbed a split piece of wood and hefted it into the air, ready to strike if the Oracle came anywhere near her lover.

"Willow let her help…" Faith spoke as she and Buffy moved to the front of the shop.

"I will not let her touch Tara! She won't ease her pain by killing her! There's got to be another way! There has to be!" Willow cried out as Buffy and Faith each stood a step behind the Oracle.

"You will attempt to save your lover by using dark magic." The Oracle stated in the same monotone she had spoken with since her emergence from the backroom. "You will become addicted."

"I won't! I won't. Please…" Willow begged. "I won't, I promise…please don't hurt her." Willow pleaded as she took a step back for every step the Oracle took forward.

"She will leave you." The super witch stated as if this news wouldn't crush another's heart.

"No! She wouldn't leave me!" Willow protested and went to swing but found she couldn't move her arm. The white haired witch appeared directly in front of Willow and tilted her head to the side. Her arm shot out and grabbed a hold of Willow's wrist and kept her arm from moving as the red haired witch attempted to swing her weapon at her again.

"When she comes back to you she will be murdered. Her death will destroy you. You will in turn attempt to destroy the world."

Willow's eyes widened and she shook her head. She wouldn't do anything like this. She wouldn't allow magic to control her. She wouldn't become obsessed! Not now! Not that she knows what could happen. She wouldn't let Tara leave her. She wouldn't give her reason to. She won't die! Now or then! With all her might she shoved and let go of the broken wood.

In an attempt to keep from being hit by the wood the Oracle instead of just keeping it hovering, took a step back, allowing Willow the distance she wanted from her. Why though was what confused the Oracle.

The Oracle was confused about her compassion for all of these humans and undead. That was until she felt Melinda and Dawn's feelings for the witch and all present in the shop. Perhaps The Oracle hadn't isolated those feelings far enough. If she were to do what needed to be done Dawn's feelings and even Melinda's needed to be locked away. It was her destiny that needed to be fulfilled. Tonight.

Buffy and Faith stood where they were unsure what they could do to help Willow. Or if they should help keep the Oracle away from the redhead or help the Oracle reach Tara. As they listened to what the Oracle was prophesying they both had to keep from making any kind of sound.

Willow would turn evil.

She'd try to end the world?

It seemed so far out there, too far out there even when living on a hell mouth. When the Oracle stepped away from Willow, and Willow took a defensive position a step back closer to Tara their minds were made up. They both stepped forward and put themselves between the Oracle and the two witches behind them.

Stepping between the Oracle and what she wanted wasn't the smartest move either of them had ever made, but it was a move they needed to make. They'd have the Oracle assure Willow, and them, that she was only going to heal Tara. Not kill her to ease her pain. If it turned out Willow was right then Faith had an idea while Buffy was slowly trying to find the Oracle's weakness. Just in case she needed to go toe to toe with the super witch. Unfortunately Buffy couldn't come up with any.

The Oracle took a step back when Faith and Buffy pushed themselves between her and Willow. This was not what she needed. She had stalled her own plans in an effort to save their witch friend from the confines of her own mind, and this is how she is rewarded?

Insolent little mortals! Did they not know who she was, and what she was trying to offer their friend!

"Do you wish for your friend to suffer?" The Oracle asked nonchalantly. Why she should care about their friend if they did not was beyond even her comprehension.

"We don't want her to suffer." Faith said harshly.

How the Oracle and Melinda were one in the same was not an easy thing to fathom. The Oracle's voice was Melinda's voice. But it held nothing, while Melinda's voice held anything and every emotion one could think of. The Oracle's voice was dead and hollow. Hearing it made Faith shiver uncontrollably.

"We don't want her to die either." Buffy spoke up as she dug the top of her foot into the ground, ready to shift as quickly as the Oracle herself is she needed to.

"Have I given you the impression I intend to harm your friends? Have I not just spent time, my very valuable time, healing each of those who have been injured? Do you need me to continue speaking or will you move aside and allow me to heal the crippled witch?" The Oracle was becoming impatient. Her impatience was an emotion that she only becoming accustomed to.

It had been a long time since The Oracle had been allowed out from the confines of Melinda's mind. Becoming accustomed to the strength of the young woman's emotions—now her emotions—was going to take some time. Time she did not have nor wish to have.

"What in the name of God happened here?" Buffy and Faith both turned towards the remainder of the stores wall and saw three figures standing there.

Buffy immediately recognized who they were and her eyes widened before she glared at the three stupid humans! What the hell did they think they were doing here? After they were informed, none to politely, that they were not welcome.

Spike eyed the three ignorant fools and smiled. He'd love to keep his promise. Now that they were here he'd actually be able to feast on the fools. Without being looked down upon by the goody-two-shoes that crowded the remainder of the shop.

"Who is that?" Anya asked as she eyed the man standing in the doorway, reaching for her somewhat broken baseball bat. "He looks evil. Can I hit him?"

Xander smiled at the thought but grabbed a hold of Anya's arms. "No. He is evil, but he's the human kind of evil."

"Oh…" Anya stated and decided glaring at the man that even Xander seemed to dislike was more prudent then hitting him with a bat.

Max watched as Giles eyed the man bewildered unsure if he should recognize him if the rest of the group recognized him. Max turned back to the man that had just entered into what had been a war zone only moments ago and wondered if he could convince the eccentric blonde to give him the bat.

Then again, by the look of the aura beginning to surround the Oracle, he wouldn't need to do anything. It seemed the Oracle was more inclined to do that for him.

TBC….


End file.
